You and me? We are worlds apart
by nutmeg17
Summary: His Stiles had an iron-clad wall he had tried countless times, over many years to break through and he couldn't. His Stiles would have gotten angry and faced the day as if he had something to prove. But, this wasn't his Stiles. This was a completely different boy. Stiles/Derek, misunderstanding, angst (w/happy ending), emotionally hurt stiles, parallel universe
1. Chapter 1

It began 6 months ago, not too long but long enough for a teenager like Stiles to give his heart away completely, despite knowing it was a lost cause. His heart couldn't not hope, couldn't not melt and surrender himself totally and utterly to Derek. Which is why 6 months down the line as he lay naked in a cold, hard hotel room bed, alone, he felt equally foolish and devastated. He is as angry at Derek as he is with himself. The young boy; usually so full of life, could barely find the energy to breath. His heart lay shattered in pieces around him, on the bed he was promised would save him, save them. Silent, angry, broken tears streaked down his cheeks as he continued to stare at the ceiling. All he could think was, why? He was ready to end things, he was ready to walk away on his terms, but no. Derek made a promise; they were real, that if he was given one more chance it would be different, begged for one more chance to prove it. Stiles believed him. Stiles got played.

Ever since that first desperate night; after they fought and won against pixies they were both clinging to each other for comfort, to relieve stress and adrenaline. Whatever it was that caused that first rushed rough night between them, happened again and again. At first it was after battle; when one almost lost the other, then when one of them was stressed or horny. Then the interactions grew less hurried and more intimate. Despite Derek becoming gentler, more open, one thing remained the same. Stiles would wake up in the morning alone. He would feel used and worthless each and every time, yet each and every time he forgave the wolf and went back for more. Somehow, somewhere down the line, Stiles found that he had fallen in love with Derek, but to Derek, Stiles was a booty call, a way to a quick release because he knew the human wouldn't, couldn't say no.

When Stiles realised just how much he felt for the wolf, he stewed in his own self-pity for a good part of a week. Everyone in the pack noticed and tried to help but Stiles merely brushed them off.

Stiles was used to heart break, used to the person of his affections not returning them. At least with Lydia she was a bitch to him. He's grateful for that now, she never led him on or pretended to care. Derek was so much worse: he dangled a chance of happiness and love in front of him when they were in bed; the way Derek stroked his hair, how he smiled gently, took extra time not to hurt him, the wonderfully unnecessary butterfly kisses he pressed to the teens skin, then, ripped it all away when he woke up alone, the side next to him cold.

Stiles had made a promise to himself; no more. He wasn't a dirty little secret and he deserved more than he was given. He just had to find an opportunity to present this to Derek. Despite all the intimacy shared between them, the alpha still made Stiles feel like he had no right to feel the way he did or be the one to bring it up. Stiles hated it, hated him. To the teen's surprise the opportunity presented itself a lot faster than he was expecting. A few days after this realisation, it was movie night. The pack had run a witch out of town and were celebrating their win by gathering in the newly renovated hale house's living room to watch movies and order pizza.

Firstly Derek didn't sit near Stiles which, okay was fine, he usually sat with Scott anyway, but Scott had brought Kira. The teen couldn't help but wonder what it would feel like to have Derek's arm around him during a movie. Then Derek asked if he wanted chicken or pepperoni on his pizza. Derek knew damn well that he like chicken and peppers on his pizza. They had ordered countless 'in-between orgasms' pizza. Which meant Derek was putting on a show, 'was he just pretending not to know me at all now?' Stiles thought to himself before he narrowed his eyes and answered Derek's question as politely as he could.

Those things annoyed Stiles, but he could deal with it, they did not tip him over the edge, the boy had had to put up with a lot of Derek's crap and he took it in his stride. The boiling point came nearer the end of the movie, when Stiles' phone went off alerting him of a text message.

 _Derek; want to come back when the pack are gone?_

Really? Stiles thought, he had to pretend to leave just to sneak back in! Was Derek really this ashamed of him? He wanted to bring this up in private but he was so infuriated he couldn't stop himself from shouting; "Fuck you Derek!" To the silent room before storming out.

The boy practically ran out of the house without looking back. He was too angry to drive, hands shaky and tears filling his eyes and blurring his vision. So instead in took off to the preserve, stomping through the worn away trail, paying no attention to where he was going or how was he going to get back, he didn't care. All he was worried about was the lump in his throat making it hard to breath, the embarrassment of his outburst in front of the whole pack, the anger at Derek and himself, of the fact that they were both cowards.

It wasn't the person Stiles thought it would be that found him an hour later. Stiles would have put money on Scott coming to look for him. It wasn't though. It was Derek that made his way out of the clearing. He didn't see the wolf until he was standing in front of him, Stiles was sitting on the ground against a tree trunk so the teen couldn't get away.

"Stiles," Derek began, he sounded confused and a little angry, "Want to explain yourself?" Stiles could not stop the slightly hysterical laugh that escaped him, explain himself?! It was ridiculous. Stiles was in a completely ridiculous situation, but the exact one he had intended to get himself into.

"Explain myself?! How about you explain yourself, Derek." The teen almost spat the man's names out he was so angry.

"Explain what? You're the one acting like a," the werewolf visibly halted his words but Stiles knew, he always knew.

"Like a what Derek? Say it. Like a kid? Need I remind you I am a kid?!"

"I know! Jesus I know Stiles." Derek suddenly sounded defeated, all anger drained out of his body instantly as he held the bridge of his nose with his finger and thumb. Stiles jumped to his feet upon seeing the sight before him, anger flaring anew.

"You don't get to act like the hurt one here! You're the dick, not me." He spat shoving Derek for emphasis, Derek stepped back from the force, he could have used werewolf strength and have it have no effect, they both knew it.

"I know. I shouldn't have let this continue. I just couldn't say no to you."

"What?" Stiles asked, more confused than ever which made him all the angrier.

"You're 17 Stiles! I'm taking advantage. I feel disgusted and guilty every time I allow myself to be seduced by, you're everything." Derek sank down onto a tree stump, head in his hands. Stiles was stunned silent for a moment. Derek looked too small and hurt which made Stiles instantly want to wrap his arms around the wolf. That made Stiles angry at himself as much, even more than he was at Derek.

"Are you shitting me right now?! What about the pizza!" The teen wailed, arms flinging out straight by his sides.

"What pizza?" Derek asked, raising his head to look quizzically at the boy in front of him that was now pacing out his excess energy.

"Tonight! You asked if I like chicken, you know as well as I do how I like my pizza. We've ordered enough sex pizza to make the question completely useless! You don't have to work so hard to convince people were not, were just not. People like me, don't get people like you. People like me don't get a happy ending." Stiles words became softer, to the point the last sentence was whispered. Derek could hear he believed every word of the horrible things he spoke about himself.

"What? Stiles I," Derek was on his feet moving towards the boy. But Stiles was having none of it. He was refusing to have Derek wind him around his little finger, to continue to use the human for his own needs and desires with no thought to Stiles' own. He took a few steps back before he began to rant again.

"I'm not stupid Derek! I know exactly what I mean to you. I'm your fuck buddy. I'm your way of release. I'm your dirty little secret! I thought I was okay with that. That as long as I got you sometimes, I didn't care for the details. Well I was wrong. It makes me feel used and dirty and I can't keep doing it." Tears rolling down his cheeks now. "Please don't make me."

"Stiles, you were the one that wanted to keep us a secret."

"Huh?!" He shouted in response unable to comprehend the point the werewolf just made.

"When you found out that Scott was on his way over after that second time, you were in my bed, you panicked. You reeked of it. You were ashamed."

"What?! I was worried you were going to kick me out and tell me it meant nothing! I wanted you any way I could have you. I was playing by your rules!"

"I never! Never! Told you I wanted nothing but sex! That was you projecting your issues onto me."

"Oh please, don't tell me you didn't know how I felt about you. You going to tell me you didn't smell it all on me, the hope, the happiness, the heart breaking crushing feeling of rejection and loneliness when I woke up in an empty bed, every single fucking time." Stiles was crying now, he didn't care anymore. Derek seemed to care more than he thought he would though, if nothing else seeing Stiles tears might hurt Derek, good he thought.

"I have my issues too you know. It's hard to sleep in a bed with someone. I can't seem to lower my defences with someone so close. I tried, I try every time. You are the only one I could ever see myself be able to sleep with, really sleep. In time." There was silence between them while Stiles processed. After a little while the teenager got up from where they had been sitting in silence next to each other for around 5 minutes and started walking towards the hale house "Where are you going?"

"I'm going home. I don't believe anything that comes out your mouth. You say I mean more to you than sex, then why only show me I exist to you when we fuck. If you care about me at all, why couldn't we at least be friends in front of the pack? I'm done. I won't take this anymore. You make me feel like I'm nothing."

"I'm sorry." The Alpha shouted reached out for the human. Stiles let him take his hands, more for Stiles wanting contact than anything else. He wanted a last moment of tenderness. Derek continued stroking his thumbs over the back of Stiles' hands, "It was never my intention to make you feel any of that. Don't walk away Stiles. You're the first person since Kate that makes me feel like this. Although it scares me I know you're the opposite of her. I don't want to lose you." Resting his forwards to the younger boys he continued, "One more chance. Please Stiles." Stiles began to shake his head but the werewolf just couldn't let the boy go without trying everything. "I'll take you to a hotel tomorrow night, we can have the whole night together. You and me."

"You'll be there when I wake up?" Stiles asked after a long tense silence, opening his eyes and looking into the eyes he really had fallen in love with.

"Yes, I promise. And every morning after if that's what you want. Please. One more chance." Stiles heard the desperation in the man's voice he hasn't heard before. Stiles tried to resist, he did, but he was young and in love and Derek sounded extremely genuine and hurt at the idea of Stiles leaving. He could feel his resolve crumble under the feeling of Derek's thumbs gently caressing his hands.

"Okay." He breathed "One more chance."

"Thank you." The huge rare bright joy filled smile that spread across the man's face was almost worth the fight. Despite is worries and anxieties he couldn't help but feel somewhat hopeful.

That's how Stiles ended up laying in that hotel room with check out time fast approaching. He slowly rolled onto his stomach groaning as his muscles protested the movement. All Stiles wanted to do was wrap himself up in a blanket and cry. He couldn't even drive home because he came in Derek's Camaro. Which meant on top of broken heart and crushed dreams he also had to drag his body through to the other side of town to get home.

The walk gave the teen time to think. Why would Derek do this? Why fight so hard to get Stiles to give him another chance just to do the one thing that would end things between them? Did control mean that much to him? Why would he do this?

By the time Stiles reached his house he had cried his tears and was now angry, the boy was shaking in his anger. Stiles didn't have time to talk himself out of his decision because by the time his brain caught up with his actions Stile was in his jeep already on the way to Derek's house.

Stiles' powder blue jeep screeched to a stop outside the Hale house. "Derek!" he screamed as he slammed the jeep door shut. "Derek!" he shouted again. He knew Derek was there, he was done chasing. Derek was going to come to him for once. He stood in front of the house trying not to shake as he shouted. "Derek James Hale! I know you're in there!"

"Can I help you?" A familiar voice asked. Stiles whipped his head around to see Derek standing by the side of the house. The man before him looked relaxed, at ease with the world in a way he hadn't seen before. Stiles' gut twisted painfully upon seeing this. Stiles felt like he was dying and Derek was on top of the freaking world at finally getting rid of him. Anger filled him completely as he marched over to the older man.

"Can you help me? I don't know Derek. You see I woke up alone, again. Something you promised me wouldn't happen." Stiles took a deep breath trying to calm his nerves before letting it all out, no use in holding anything back now. "One night Derek. I just wanted one night where I could wake up in the morning and not feel like a dirty used piece of crap. You couldn't even do that could you?" there was no response from Derek though he was looking more and more confused with every word. The confusion fuelled his anger how could he possibly have the temerity to look confused after what he promised him? After begging for a chance. Stiles sighed, he was sick of this game. Sick of putting his life on the line for someone that didn't even respect him enough to treat him like a decent human being. "You know what? I'm done. Stay away from me. Next time you're lonely and horny don't even think about calling me. You will never get your hands on this piece of jailbait ass again." He was sick of the life he was thrown into, werewolves, pack, the supernatural, everything. Life was better before he knew, he couldn't do it anymore. "I want out. Out of your life. Out of the pack." Derek's eyes shot up to Stiles' at that, eyes wide with shock and possibly fear, good Stiles thought. They will have to learn to deal without him. "Tell them, all of them, I want nothing more to do with any of them. I can't do this." Taking another step forward, head up high, finger prodding into the alpha's firm chest. "Keep your pups out of my life, keep your furry ass and your supernatural problems away from me and I'll keep my wolfsbane bullets out of my gun." Derek took a step back at the threat, familiar tension bleeding back into his muscles, he looked like the Derek Stiles was used too, the teen was actually a little happy at the sight. It hurt too much to see Derek relaxed and content. "Am I clear?"

"Yeah, I guess." Derek stammered, voice a little softer than usual but Stiles put it down to shock from the threat.

"You're pathetic." Stiles snarled stepping back before turning around, and almost fell chest to chest into Peter. "Woah." Stiles flailed in true Stilinski fashion at the shock, but it was more subdued than normal due to the crushing feeling through his whole body. He stood up straight and nodded to the man in front of him. "Peter. Always a pleasure." The man in front of him raised a single eyebrow at his name but did nothing else to try to communicate to the boy in front of him. "I'm guessing you heard all of that." A sly smirk appeared on the man face and Stiles had to supress a disgusted shiver at the sight. "Well that warning goes for you as well, keep your creepy, psychotic, blood stained claws at least 50 ft. from me or I'll get another Molotov cocktail, and this time you won't be back." Stiles turned and walked back to his car, trying very hard not to run and to keep his heart steady.  
Peter watched the strange teenage boy drive away from his house, smirk firmly in place as he turned to his nephew.

"Well that was interesting. Care to fill me in on that Derek?" Before Derek could try and answer a very familiar voice filled the air.

"Fill us all in." A woman commanded from where she stood by the open front door coming down the porch steps to stand in front of Derek, most of the family now gathering behind her.

"Mom I have no idea." Derek said truthfully, he was blushing from embarrassment at the accusations the boy made about the two of them and terrified that he knew their secret and could be very dangerous, the sheriff's son at that, and however Derek had manage to piss him off.

"Derek I was listening, there was no lie in that boy's heart." Talia Hale told her son, equally confused, angry and worried, but being a picture of calm that only an alpha in the presence of her pack can be.

"Mum; that was the sheriff's son." Derek's younger sister Cora told her alpha, obvious amusement was mixed in with the worry.

"Derek have you been sleeping with the Stilinski boy?" Peter asked, smirk growing tenfold upon hearing the teens name.

"I think the more important question is why and how he knows about us." Laura interjected again, amusement gone and worry evident in her young voice. Derek turned to his alpha needing to settle this.

"I haven't slept with him. I haven't told him anything about us, I barely know the kid! Mum I am not lying, listen."

"He's right, Derek is telling the truth." Talia announced to the rest of the rest although they could hear for themselves, Talia was still the one they all looked too to confirm this.

"So was he." Laura whispered looking down there drive way, where a powder blue jeep had been not long ago.

"Derek, I want you to stay away from that boy until your father and I figure this out okay?" Talia gently told her son, resting a hand on his neck in comfort, sensing the panic rising in her son.

"Sure. I need to get changed for work." His words was less certain and more croaky than normal.

"Don't want to keep your father-in-law waiting deputy." Peter quipped.

"Peter shut up." Talia growled before turned to her son and smiling as reassuring as she could. "Derek, go change."


	2. Chapter 2

By the time Stiles got home his eyes were so full of the tears he had refused to cry, he could barely see through the blurriness of his vision. Stiles' legs felt weak, stomach lurched and head span. He just gave up Derek, his alpha, his pack, his friends. He just lost Derek. Derek hale, with his stupid eyebrows, stupid smile, stupid loyalty and stupid secret sense of humour that made him melt. Stiles crashed face first into his bed and sobbed. The kind of crying that comes from the soul; that hurts your stomach and grips your throat. Stiles didn't know how long he cried, but he exhausted himself and fell asleep in his clothes on top of the covers, face against a wet pillow.

The Sheriff came home late that night, Stiles had moved himself under the covers and stripped to his boxers but hadn't manged to move beyond that. When John came home he was expecting to see his son in front of the TV, binging on chips and laughing obnoxiously, but the house was silent.

The sheriff's eyebrows rose from where he stood by his still open front door at the sight of a dark silent living room. He glanced back to check he did indeed see his sons car. He did, he knew Stiles was in, the Sheriff knew his son was simply too lazy to go anywhere without his car. He made his way upstairs and stopped at his son's doorway. John was taken aback, his door was open. Not once since Stiles was 13 did he ever leave his door open. Worry rocked inside the Sheriff as he knocked gently on his son's open door as he cautiously stepped inside.

"Son?" he asked as he took a step inside. "You okay?"

"No." came a strangled meek broken version of his son's voice. He hadn't heard Stiles sound so small since his mother died.

"You want to talk about it?"

"No." the voice repeated, he didn't expect him to say anything else, Stiles made a habit of shutting his father out. "Can't right now. Tomorrow?" The Sheriffs heart broke, he sounded so young, so much like the child he once knew. He couldn't resist his hand running over his son's head.

"Tomorrow." he agreed before wishing his son goodnight and leaving him to his sorrows.

When Stiles opened his eyes the next morning it took him a few moments to realise what happened the night before. The crushing feeling in his chest came back tenfold and tears immediately rolled down his cheeks. He was grateful it was Sunday so he didn't have to think of anything or do anything. The boy fished his phone out of his jean's pocket that were on the floor from last night. He turned it off without looking at it, what would be the point? And he shoved the device in his bedside drawer before resuming his position from last night, bundled in his duvet. After an hour he managed to take himself to the toilet without even humouring the idea of a shower, before loading Netflix and climbed back into bed.

A few hours later John appeared by his open door. The Sheriff watched his son for a moment before entering his room.

"Feeling any better today?" He asked but one look at his son's face he knew it was a stupid question. Stiles didn't have it in him to lie, so smiled sadly at his dad. Despite what he and his son had been through recently he couldn't bear to see his son look so broken. So he sat next to him on the bed and pulled his teenage son into his arms. Stiles relaxed immediately against his father's chest and began crying. "What happened?" Desperation bled into his words, he needed to know what happened so he could at least try and fix it.

"I lost him." Stiles whispered, John stayed silent giving Stiles time to continue. "I, I loved him and I lost him."

"Who?" he asked, not really expecting an answer.

"Doesn't matter." They were silent for a long time, John cradling his son against his chest, reminding him so much of simpler times, when he and Stiles were close and his son came to him for comfort.

"I didn't realise you were involved with anyone." John whispered, he felt like a failure for not even knowing about his son being with anyone, let along being in love, especially with a guy.

"No one did. It was a secret. I was his secret. It killed me but I did it so I could have him." Stiles mumbled his words but John heard every one of them and his heart broke for his son.

"I see."

"It hurts dad."

"I know." He whispered holding his sobbing son harder "I know."

John spent the whole day with Stiles. After an hour he managed to move his son to the living room where they camped out for the rest of the day. They watched films, ones that avoided romance. Stiles spent the day between staring lifelessly at the TV screen and crying into his hands, John beside him the whole time.

The sheriff could not persuade him to have anything more than water the whole day. Around 18:00 John became worried, Stiles had barely said two words since their talk that morning, and he hadn't eaten and barely drank anything. He was not acting like his son.

"Stiles." Stiles looked to his dad, worry written over the elder man's face but the boy simply didn't have it in him to feel guilty. "What can I do to make it better?"

"You're doing it." The teen mumbled looking away from the genuine surprise on his father's face.

"Can you go to school tomorrow?" The sheriff asked out of the blue as he got up to change films.

"No. I can't face them."

"Them?" John pushed

"My friends. They're his friends too." It made more sense now he thought, not only have Stiles lost a sort of boyfriend going by the little information he had, but also his friends. His whole life has crashed around him.

"You won't be able to concentrate in this state." John concluded looking over the pale complexion, dark circles and torte expression on his sons face. "I'll call school tomorrow and tell them you're sick."

"Thanks dad."

"You're welcome."

They fell into silence again as they settled down to watch another film. Somewhere around 11 John managed to get his son to have some hot chocolate instead of water. Still no food but it was a step in the right direction.

"I have to go to bed, I have work tomorrow. Will you be okay? I can call in sick."

"I'll be fine. Don't worry about me." Stiles answered eyes staring straight ahead at the screen, though he wasn't convinced his son was paying any sort of attention.

"I do worry son, I'm your father."

"And I am forever grateful for that fact dad." John was taken back by the sincerity he heard in his son's voice and saw in his face. It had been a long time since his son and he spoke for any length of time except for arguments. They stopped getting along a long time ago. None of that mattered in that moment. His son needed him, and right now that's all he cared about he bent down kissed his son on the forehead, before making his way upstairs for a few hours' sleep before he had to leave for work.

Stiles ended up not going to school for a week. His dad at least tried to understand which the teen appreciated. As they days went by the sheriff became more and more worried about his son. He didn't do anything all day, barely ate, it took threats and getting physical from Johns part to get his son into the bathroom to have a shower.

John wanted to help but didn't want to push him, he didn't want his son to push him away again. It was Friday night Stiles hadn't been to school in a week, although he was looking pale and very tired, he looked better in himself.

"You're going back to school on Monday." John told his son as they sat in silence watching 101 Dalmatians, Stiles always used to turn to Disney when he was hurt and sad. John loved that that hadn't changed about his son. He expected an argument, screaming, crying anything and everything to be thrown at him to get him to change his mind. Stiles was good at emotionally crippling him to get what he wanted. What came out of the boy's mouth was the last thing he expected but the one thing he hoped for.

"I know. I can't hide forever." Stile mumbled fiddling with his hands. He has put his life on the line, seen things most people didn't know existed, he has almost died many times and seen his friends do the same, he can face going to school. He has proved many times over that he was not a coward. He can't start being one now.

"I'm glad you agree." John told his son, Stiles could not see the small proud smile his dad had for him upon hearing his words. They were silent for a good few minutes. After a little while the boy rested his head on his dads shoulder and sighed.

"When does the pain go away?" he asked, begged his father for the answers as if it were to life itself. As a heartbroken teenager, John thought it probably felt like it. He wrapped an arm around his son's shoulder and tried figure out how to word his sentence.

"It never really does. Not completely. Over time it lessons and our wounds turn to scars, making it harder to break the surface and open up, but the pain will always be there. You learn to live with it. You learn to be grateful that you loved someone enough that it almost killed you to lose them. Not everyone gets that."

"I miss her too dad." Stiles whispered new tears silently fell down his tear stained cheeks. John nodded and kissed his son on the head and hugged him tight. It had been years since Stiles had talked about his mom, even longer since they had any sort of emotional bonding talk.

"She would be better at this than me." John whispered into his son's hair.

"Yeah well you're not doing that badly." Stiles spoke lightheartedly but truth was dripping from every word.

"Thanks kid." Heart twisted in joy but a sad twisted kind of joy. After a little while John decided he couldn't not ask for any longer. "What is his name?"

"You're not going to background check him, or threaten him at gun point." Stiles answered immediately making him smile.

"I was asking as your father not a sheriff." Stiles was silent for a few moments, deciding whether or not he should tell his father the boy he was sleeping with was a man, a man he arrested for murder. Deciding against that but didn't want to lie to his father again the boy decided a first name would be acceptable.

"Derek." He hated himself that his name brought a smile to his lips, despite everything.

"What was he like?" John asked "It might help to talk about him."

"He's a dick. He used me. He made me feel cheap and worthless." Stiles told his father, thinking back to that morning in the hotel, hurt. Hurt so much he had to shut his eyes to try to block out the pain.

"Anyone worth your time and love, won't make you feel like that."

"When it was just us, he was soft and gentle. The way he smiled at me, beautiful, the way he held me. Made me feel that what we had was so much more than just physical." Stiles sat upright pushing himself out of his father's arms "But I was wrong."

"How long was it going on for?"

"Six months."

"Jesus kid. I had no idea." The guilt he felt was immense, he should have known. It is his job to know about his son's life.

"No one did. He didn't want anyone to know." Stiles got up, deciding it was high time to stop mopping. He has lost a week of school because of Derek. He lost countless hours with no energy or motivation because of him. No more. He needed something to change. "Can I borrow your credit card?"

"What? Why?" John asked, eyeing his son suspiciously.

"I need a change, fresh start. New clothes for Monday." John wanted to say no, he remembered what happened the last time Stiles stole his credit card. But this was different. His son was different. He sighed stood up and handed over the card.

"Don't go too crazy." He warned as Stiles put the card inside his wallet.

"I won't. Thank you." He wrapped his arms around his father. "Night dad, love you." John froze at those words. Him and his son have drifted apart and argued so much that the Sheriff could not remember the last time he heard those words fall from his son's mouth. He gripped Stiles back and squeezed hard before speaking through the lump that had formed in his throat.

"I love you too, son."


	3. Chapter 3

Stiles ventured outside for the first time since what happened with Derek. He was nervous, praying he didn't bump into the alpha or any of his pack. Thankfully no one so much as glanced his way as he made his way into the mall and into a clothes store.

Stiles was used to plaid shirts and ill-fitting jeans, he needed a change, and he wanted to feel good about himself. The boy brought a few pairs of skinny jeans and a selection of figure hugging tops, some short sleeves some long, not a slogan in sight. He even ventured to purchase a few plain shirts to wear either on their own or over the tops. He finished his shopping trip with the purchase of a new bag, a satchel. A bag that has never carried wolfs bane, a bag that has never carried blood soaked clothes, bandages or knives or spells books ready for battle. A new start, clean of the involvement in the supernatural.

Monday came around quicker that he expected. He got hardly any sleep the night before and his hands were shaking as he pulled on his new clothes. Stiles was about to pull on his converse when he spotted a pair of combat boots in the corner of his room. His eyebrows rose, he didn't even remember he had those. Stiles laughed humorlessly to himself as he pulled them on. His head was really out of it if he was forgetting what he owned.

As Stiles walked down the corridor he hadn't realised, his plan to have a new wardrobe to help him be a new person meant he would have eyes follow him down the corridor. If he thought that would have even been an option he would have rethought his plan. He did not want any kind of attention at the moment he wanted to be invisible and be left alone to die inside peacefully.

The morning went by smoothly. None of his old pack approached him and thankfully he hadn't even seen Scott so he didn't have to fight the urge to crumble and have his best friend back. Scott was a wolf, he needed a pack more than he needed him. Despite knowing Scott would argue this, he knew what was best, and he would gladly sacrifice his friendship with Scott to allow Scott to run with a pack.

It was after school when Stiles was so close to getting out that he was forced to face the supernatural. A dick in the shape of Jackson was torturing a freshman, pushing him around trying to make himself feel good about himself. Stiles couldn't, simply couldn't let that pass, he hated bullies, and he hated Jackson when he was like this, and a bullying Jackson was more than he could handle.

"Hey!" He shouted grabbing the jocks attention as he marched towards them. He picked up the freshman's bag handed it back and nodded to the boy to get out of there, he whispered 'thank you' before scurrying off home.

"Oh look little Stilinski trying to be a hero." Jackson sneered, making his 'friends' snort and laugh. Stiles just rolled his eyes, bored already.

"Fuck off Jackson. You get your kicks picking on freshman? You're one sick puppy." Jackson did not like that, he swaggered towards Stiles, who had to stop himself from laughing at how ridiculous the boy looked. He didn't stop until he was standing incredibly close to Stiles' face.

"What did you just say to me, freak?" Stiles rolled his eyes, he thinks Jackson was trying to be intimidating. Had he forgotten exactly what Stiles had faced? Jackson freaking Whitmore doesn't even make the top ten of intimidating things he has dealt with.

"Freak? Really?" Amusement leaking into his tone, Jackson took that for using comedy to cover up fear and smiled at the boy in front of him.

"What are you going to do about it?"

"Get out of my face Jackson." Stiles warned, he didn't want to take Jackson down, but if he had to he would. He wanted a quiet time to finish the rest of his school career in peace. Maybe taking down a pack member would send a clear message to the others, and Stiles could not think of a member he would want to humiliate in that way more than Jackson.

"Make me." Childish, Stiles thought as he rolled his eyes.

"Don't tempt me." His voice was cold and measured just like it was when he entered a battle with his old pack. Gone was the flailing mass of energy he usually was, now his mind was focused, he got no reaction so he turned to walk away. Stiles heard the movement and before it even registered, his survival instincts and training kicked in and before he knew what he was doing, he had parried Jackson's ill-advised attack, spun the jock around slammed his front against the lockers, arm twisted around his back. "Stay out of my way Jackson. All of you." He growled into his ear, he had no response from the teen fidgeting below him. "Are we clear?"

"Yes." He gritted out, wincing at the grip Stiles still had on his wrist.

"Good." He told the boy before letting him go and stalking down the corridor without looking back, out of school and back home.

Not exactly the back to school day he wanted but it would probably get around the pack to stay away from him.

John was at his desk on Monday fretting over his son's return to school. His Stiles wouldn't have found an issue in going back-if he decided he wanted to go back that is. His Stiles had an iron-clad wall he had tried countless times, over many years to break through and he couldn't. His Stiles would have gotten angry and faced the day as if he had something to prove. But, this wasn't his Stiles. The boy he had taken care off over the last week, that wasn't his Stiles. The boy that went to school today was a completely different boy.

Whatever this Derek boy did to him the sheriff thought, had completely broke his son. John sat at his desk and thought of the shell of a boy the Sheriff had come home to a little over a week ago and the man grew more and more angry.

He didn't know Derek's: last name, age, what he looked like, he didn't know anything, but the man was still picturing hurting the boy for hurting his son. As the Sheriff he knew he would never do such a thing, but as a father he wanted nothing more. John even contemplated typing Derek into his computer but decided it would be a ridiculous thing to do. Instead he sat at his desk with his head in his hands fretting over his son's school day, waiting for the end of school to come so he could ring Stiles like his son asked him to do.

It worried John more than the request perhaps should have, but it is just not the behaviour of his son.

John remembered the arguments they had, not so long ago, over Stiles keeping his phone on him, telling his father where he was, who he was with and when he would be back. Stiles had lost it; accused his father of babying him, accusing him of having deputy's keep an eye on him, of being too afraid to let him grow up because he was all he had left. On the one hand John was slightly ashamed to admit he was correct, the Sheriff dreads the day he will have to say goodbye and watch as his son, his family, move out and start his own life. He dreads it, but he would never stop it. Yet on the other, asking to know where your teenage son was and with whom, was not an outrageous request, especially considering Stiles' shady past. Stiles though couldn't see past his hyped up teenage hormones and rage he seemed to hold for his father, and since that moment Stiles has told his father next to nothing of his life.

It hurt but John knew what teenagers where like, he was one himself once, though he never behaved the way Stiles does. Then again he never had to watch his mum die, watch his father succumb to grief and work through it, by diving into work and to some degree neglecting his son.

The Sheriff knew he made allowances, allowances that kept him out of jail, he just clung to the hope that it was a phase and his boy would come back to him.

John was right, he did. In the form of heart break and depression, he seems to have his, open, affection loving, Disney watching son back. John will not say he is grateful for whatever tragedy Stiles endured. He would rather have 100 moody bitchy teenage sons running him ragged, than to have to walk into his son's room and see his once strong, bright, bold son lying almost motionless on his bed in the dark, eyes red from crying and cheeks stained with his tears. Thinking of his son that way breaks the Sheriff's heart every time. So no, he will not say he is grateful for the heartbreak that seems to have changed Stiles, but if the change came from anything other than his sons suffering than yes, he would be grateful. Happy even.

Happy that Stiles didn't seem to hate him anymore. Happy that for a week Stiles has spoken openly and honestly with him, has hugged him and told him he loved him. For a week he has had a son that hasn't stolen from him, gotten arrested or caused one of a hundred things he did to expertly to cause trouble in the town.

The Sheriff was swimming in these conflicting emotions when a gentle knock at his office door brought him back to the present. He looked up to see one of his newest and youngest deputies waving a cup of coffee at him through the door window, seemingly having just got back from a coffee run.

The young man came in after the sheriff waved his permission to enter.

"Hello Deputy Hale." The sheriff greeted his new deputy as he reached for the much needed coffee. "How is everything? Still on coffee runs I see."

"It's good sir." Hale answered, the two men were in silence for a few moments, sipping their respective drinks. Derek felt even more awkward around the Sheriff this past week than he normally did. The man in front of him wasn't just his boss, since his…interaction with Stiles. The Sheriff is now the father of the boy was thought they were sleeping together, believed it so much his heart beat with nothing but honesty. Now he is the father of a son that knew about werewolves and the fact he was a werewolf. The idea of the Sheriff possibility knowing his secret too made his blood run cold. Despite everything, as he looked at his boss sat hunched at his desk, sipping a coffee, papers askew everywhere on his desk, he smelt of confused and sadness, he felt compelled to ask, "Are you okay? You seem worried."

"I'm fine thank you son." The tick in his heart beat at the lie, like a drum to Derek's ears. The Sheriff sighed and gestured to the chair beside Derek, the deputy nodded and sat down and waited. "It's Stiles."

"I see." Derek replied, his whole body stiffen, it was not the subject he wanted, he would have been happy with anything apart from that. The deputy would admit the few times he saw Stiles at the station before that day outside his house, he found the boy attractive, he never told anyone and would never have acted on anything. He would never have done anything with his boss' underage son but now it seems he may as well have acted upon it since the boy thought he did anyway and it was only a matter of time before the sheriff knew. Then Derek would either be shot or fired depending on who reacted quicker; father or sheriff. Derek waited in silent awkward agony for the sheriff to continue, he wanted to run but he also wanted more information.

"He's not in trouble again, surprisingly quit the opposite." John informed his deputy.

"The opposite?" eyebrows pulled together.

"He's not doing anything." The sheriff inform his deputy, sad twinge to his face and sadder tone to his scent.

"And that's a bad thing? I have heard the stories." Derek asked attempting to inject humour into the already painfully tense and awkward conversation.

"He's depressed." He said through a sigh, Derek could see the worry and stress in his boss' shoulders without having to smell it. Even though he knew he hadn't done anything to Stiles, the Sheriff's declaration still created an overpowering feeling quilt to swell in the pit of his stomach. Though he tried his best to push it down and ignore it, telling himself he had nothing to feel guilty over.

"Oh." Is all Derek could think to say.

"Someone broke his heart. I came home last week and he's been a different person. Not just the crying and the not eating or moving, but how he is towards me. He's acting like he doesn't hate me anymore."

"I'm sure he doesn't hate you." He assured him, he hadn't been at the station long but if he was half the father he was a sheriff his son would be lucky to have him.

"He tells me, repeatedly."

"Oh." Shit Derek thought, "He's a teenager sir, they say stuff they know will hurt you." And it was true, some of the things he had said to his family at Stiles' age, makes him cringe to this day.

"I know. Still hurts." They share a weak smile, both feeling the awkwardness in the room, the Sheriff cleared his throat and looked back to his paper work before continuing. "It's his first day back to school today. He couldn't go to school last week, he could barely function like a human being. It killed me to see him like that."

"Do, do you know what happened?" Derek's palms were sweating, he knew what Stiles thought had happened between them, it wasn't true but there wouldn't be a reason why the Sheriff wouldn't believe his son.

"Not as much as I would like." Derek held his breath as he wait for him to continue. "Just that a boy called Derek strung him along for 6 months and broke his heart." Derek swallowed and looked up to his boss dreading what he could find in them. Thankfully the Sheriff was ether oblivious to his son's idea of the truth or he was the best actor and liar Derek had ever met. "I will find him Hale, I will make him pay for breaking my boy."

"Erm, why are you telling me this sir?" Desperate for a change of subject. Unable to stop himself fidgeting awkwardly in his seat. John's eyebrow rose a fraction on an inch, Derek's discomfort obvious to his eyes. The deputy was silent completely unsure of what to say and how to act. He know that sheriff was, indirectly, threatening him, because whether he did anything of not stiles thought they had. Which meant the sheriff believed they had too. He just prayed that John or anybody never finds out that it was him Stiles was referring too.

"You know? I don't know. I guess it's been on my mind all day and you the first officer I have spoken too." A sad and embarrassed laugh escaped the sheriff's lips as he stood, Derek following soon after. "I'm sorry son, you should not have to listen to an old man and his problems." He clapped his deputy on the shoulder and smiled his thanks. "Especially one so new to the team. I do not make a habit of it."

"I'm sure, I'm sure Stiles will be okay. I haven't really meet him but he seems a strong kid." Shut up, Derek thought, shut up!

"That he is, he's been through a lot."

"If there's anything I can do," Derek told his boss, though he really didn't mean it, not in the slightest, he liked the Sheriff and didn't like to see such a nice man look so worn and worried but he wanted to stay as far away from the situation as possible.

"Thank you son, go on get back to work." He opened the door for his deputy who left with a nod before going back to his desk. John's eyes followed his young deputy until he was seated and back doing work. He made his way back to his desk, the time was checked again, school was over the Sheriff wasted no time in dialling his son's number.


	4. Chapter 4

Stiles stormed out the doors of school trying to calm down. He reached his jeep and spent a few moments leaning against her, just breathing and feeling the air against his face.

The ringing of his phone startled him back to where he was. He wasn't used to his ringtone, this being the first day since he had his heart broken that he had his phone switched on.

"Hey dad."

"Hello kiddo, how was it today?" Stiles wanted to lie, wanted to tell his dad how much better it was than he thought, but he was tired of lying to his father.

"…alright. I guess."

"What happened?" The Sheriff asked instantly, Stiles could almost hear how his father instantly tensed.

"Nothing really."

"Stiles." Stiles knew he had no choice, despite all his lies in the past, he somehow was a sucker when his father used the dad voice on him. With a sigh he told his father.

"Dad I'm fine, just kept getting looked at, think it's the clothes, than Jackson douche bag Whitmore decided to try and go all alpha on me after school."

"Did he hurt you? Shall I take you to the hospital?"

"Jeez dad no, I can handle myself I'm fine. Not a scratch."

"Handle yourself? Since when? You have been in exactly one real fight Stiles and you were 6, and you lost. You talk a big game Stiles, always have but you're not a fighter." Stiles remembered that fight, it was indeed his first fight, but by no means his last. He hated how much of his life is hidden from his dad. All the fights and battles he had fought in and planned, all the wounds he has bandaged up and hidden, all the late night stake outs, all the illegal acts, the 3 times he was kidnapped and 2 times he did the kidnapping, the 2 curses he was hit with and the one werewolf he had fallen in love with. Stiles swallowed a lump in his throat.

"A lot has happened since I was six dad. Besides he was bullying some freshman, I couldn't just stand there."

"And Jackson?" his dad asked, because he couldn't find it in him to argue Stiles' point. He was proud of his son more than anything, but he was still the Sherriff.

"I took it easy on him, the position he was in I could have broken his arm without breaking a sweat. I mean he would heal but I didn't particularly want that kind of attention so the

only thing he is nursing is his ego."

"You nearly broke his arm?!" Stiles almost regretted his words but he was emotionally exhausted and tired of hiding who he was, tired of everything. This was supposed to be a fresh start, a new life. He didn't want to lie to his father anymore, he was all he had now.

"But I didn't."

"Stiles that's not the point." He could hear the frustration in both their voices, he had not had enough sleep for this.

"That is exactly the point! I defused the situation, no one was hurt, the freshman feels less alone and probably won't be bullied again and Jackson deserved worse. Besides even if Jackson tried anything like I said I can handle it, better me than a freshman anyway."

"When did you become such a martyr?"

"When you became a hero." He answered easily. It was true. His father was a hero in Stiles' eyes. When he became involved in the supernatural he couldn't just turn his back because he knew it was not what his father would do. His father would dive into it and do his job to protect the people of beacon hills. Since he was not going to allow his father to find out, he took it upon himself to protect them. "What do you want me to make for dinner tonight?" Stiles asked changing the subject and attempting to break the thick heavy silence between them.

"You're cooking?!" Stiles frowned at the phone as his father exclaimed through the phone rest.

"I know I haven't this last week but I gotta get my shit together, right? Starting with cooking and keeping you eating right."

"Since when can you cook?"

"Ha ha dad I know I'm not brilliant but you haven't complained before." Stiles started to become worried at the silence that stretched out as he waited for a reply.

"Stiles. Are you okay?" That, was not what he was expecting, why did his dad sound so worried? Now Stiles thought about it, this wasn't the first time recently his dad had seemed genuinely shocked or worried when he did or said normal things.

"Yeah, why?" He asked cautiously, alarm bells starting to ring in his mind.

"You have never cooked me dinner. I have never dared asked you too."

"Huh?" was all he could muster, mind racing and swimming in confusion and worry. "Listen dad I gotta go." He couldn't handle more weirdness at the moment. "Love you, bye."

"Love you too." Once again he replied with a little confusion mixed within the genuine words.

Stiles stared at his phone for a little while, he must have been really distracted because he did not hear footsteps, did not feel another's presence. He had become very attuned to the world around him, he had a particular flare for tracking, though not as good as a werewolf he was better than most hunters.

The first thing he knew he was not alone was when a familiar voice reached his ears making him jump, he almost got into battle stance, almost threw the first punch. Thankfully his mind caught up with him. He recognised that voice, Danny.

He instantly relaxed, he had to remember he was no longer in that world. He was no longer part of a pack. He no longer needed to be on guard to defend his or others' lives. He just needed to be normal. He looked to the familiar well-kept tanned boy in front of him and smiled, calming his rapidly beating heart.

"Hello Stiles." Danny spoke as he placed his left arm on the roof of his jeep, leaning forward a little. If Danny did this to Stiles a year ago he would have thought Danny was flirting, now however he knows differently.

"Danny, to what do I owe this honour?" He joked, he knew Danny was not a malice person but he was also best friends with Jackson, which did imply some level of stupidity. Stiles folded his arms across his chest and leaning his back against his jeep, attempting for casual.

"I hear you humiliated Jackson." Great Stiles thought.

"He humiliated himself when he thought it was big of him to bully freshman."

"I never said I agreed with what he did."

"But you still want me to apologise." Stiles told him with an eye roll, Danny always defended Jackson, even when he was being a complete dick.

"What? No I, I wanted to say I'm impressed. From what I have heard happened, well. I didn't think you had that in you Stilinski." Stiles took the compliment with a pinch of salt, he saw the smirk and the way Danny eyes roamed down his body. It made him feel good, Stiles smiled.

"Taking assholes down a peg or two is just one of my many talents."

"All your talents involve ass?" Danny really was a good guy, he knew Danny didn't want him in any which way but they were friends, sort of. So Stiles really appreciated the effort, the weird act of comfort that actually seemed to work a little. Stiles couldn't help play along.

"More than you'd think."

"Really." They way Danny almost growled the word as he leaned a little further in towards Stiles, hit a little too close to home. Stiles sighed and scratched his neck.

"You can stop now Danny."

"Hmm?"

"I know what you're doing, thanks for trying to make me feel better. It worked, a little. Until I remember your reaction when I asked if I was attractive to gay guys." Stiles explained, Danny though didn't seem ready to drop his façade.

"What are you talking about Stilinski? You are defiantly attractive to gay guys, let me assure you." Danny started leaning in again Stiles though was done with the game, he pushed himself away from his jeep and the boy next to him.

"That's sweet of you, thanks. I needed that." He gave the taller teen a pat on the shoulder, Danny though didn't take it as a sign of friendship he merely looked confused.

"Stiles, what aren't you getting. I trying to come on to you, not comfort you."

"What?" He squawked, that was not where he saw this conversation going.

"I thought it was obvious." Danny chuckled obviously himself getting embarrassed by the turn of events.

"I'm flattered Danny but I'm still trying to pick up the pieces of my heart and my life." Stiles explained, he hated that he had to fight the tears as he spoke.

Danny usually knew everything, how did he not know. That wasn't Stiles' problem he reminded himself, he walked away from his friends from that life. It wasn't any of his business what communication problems the teens had.

"Bad break up?" he inquired, voice having lost the flirty twinge to it and replaced with sympathy.

"The worst." Was all he was able to say about Derek and him. "Thank you, you're a good friend. Just help keep everyone away from me." He told the boy, Stiles figured Danny was always an ally to his supernatural band of misfits but he was never technically one of them, he could still have Danny as a friend, maybe he didn't have to be completely alone.

"Everyone?"

"Yeah, even Scott, I can't handle him right now."

"Who?" Stiles wanted to laugh at the joke, but the genuine look of confusion in his eyes made Stiles' blood run cold.

"Scott. Scott McCall" Stiles told him, mouth gone completely dry

"Sorry Stilinski, never heard of him."

"You're, you're joking right?" Please Stiles thought, please be joking. His mind swirled, heart beating a mile a minute and palms sweating,

"Are you okay Stilinski?"

"I'm starting to think I'm not." He croaked through his dry throat. "I have to run, bye Danny!" he called as he jumped into his jeep as drove out of the school grounds, he needed to get away from Danny and be alone. After a few minutes driving he pulled over to the side of the road, pulled out his cell and dialled by heart his best friend's number.

"Come on Scott, come on pick up." He mumbled listening to the ringing in his ear, grip on his phone so tight the tips of white fingers were white.

"Hello?" a familiar voice came through the phone.

"Scott!" Stiles almost shouted, so relieved to hear his brothers voice.

"Who is this?" his body ran cold, that was not good. He sounded groggy like the phone call had woken him up. Maybe Scott was sick, he did not remember seeing him in school that day. He loves Scott but he his is rather dopey when he first wakes up.

"It's me Stiles."

"What's a Stiles?" Stiles could feel his heart beat in his mouth.

"Stop fucking around Scotty, it's freaking me out." Please Stiles thought, this can't be happening, what even is happening?!

"Look man, I think you have the wrong number."

"What?" He squeaked, was this one huge cosmic joke; you don't want to be part of our lives we will pretend you don't exist? He wishes everyone was being cruel because there was no other explanation that made a lick of sense. "No Scott, I need your help!"

"Please don't call again, if you do my dad will answer, he's in the FBI."

"Your dad?! You're with your dad?" what the hell is happening! stiles mind screamed he didn't understand any of this.

"Goodbye."

"No Scott, wait!" what was happening?! Stiles thought "Dammit!" he shouted breathing heavily and gripping the stirring wheel trying to calm down.

Stiles was confused, so very confused and scared. What had happened to Scott? Was it a spell? A curse? Some cruel joke? Stiles started his jeep and drove to the one person he felt safe, his father. He put his foot down and drove to the station.


	5. Chapter 5

"Dad!" Stiles shouted as he barrelled into the Sheriff's office, he almost fell on his way through the door, not having slowed down on his way from his jeep to the office. He was so focused he didn't notice the raised eyebrows from the deputies that were only used to seeing him as and when he had been arrested or, as they suspected in this instance, he needed money. Neither were correct though. Stiles simply needed his dad, needed him to hug him and tell him he was not going crazy, that everything was okay and there was an easy and simply explanation that his dramatic and fanatic mind had missed.

Who he found though, was not his father who would calm him down and make him feel sane. It was the one person that drove him crazy, his breath caught in his throat, blood ran cold and the phone his was holding slipped out of his grasp and hit the floor, Derek.

"Stiles." Derek greeting the boy in front of him with caution, it was the first time he had seen the boy since he came to his house and shouted at him in front of his family.

"Derek?" He croaked out, throat suddenly dry, he stared for a few beats before visibly shaking himself out of whatever thought he was having "What the hell?!" before the conversation could go any further his dad appeared behind him and entered his office, files stacked in his hands which he gave to Derek.

"Hello son, have you met Deputy Hale?"

"Deputy?" Stiles asked, too shocked to feel much of anything, he felt numb and slowed down as if under water. He knew Derek wanted to try and get his life together, he had fixed up the house and was hoping for a job but officer? Could he really become a deputy after being arrested for murder, twice? "Yeah we, we've met." Stiles answered his father not taking his eyes off of Derek.

"Hale, can you give us a minute." Stiles watched Derek smile and nod to his father and moved to leave the room. Anger filled Stiles, how dare he be so calm, so indifferent. How dare he be on good terms with his father. He could feel his heart begin to break again at having Derek walk away, again, but this time to witness it and to see just how little Derek actually cared when he did so.

"Yeah Derek, leave. It's what you're good at." Stiles snapped without meaning too. Tears were in his eyes, Derek flinched but refused to look in Stiles' direction which hurt the boy more than he would care to admit.

"Wait." John bark out when Derek reached the door, voice a mixture of father, Sheriff and boss. Stiles eyes finally left Derek's back, which had become tense, and looked to his father whose eyes were flicking between them. "Do. Not. Open that door Hale. Come back here." Derek slowly turned and walked back to stand in front of his boss.

Stiles was finding it hard to be so close to the man that destroyed him. The Sheriff indicated to the boys to sit, which they did after putting the files back onto the Sheriff's desk. The Sheriff slowly sat down and silently looked from Stiles to Derek. The room was silent and the tension was so ripe the boy almost choked on it.

"Dad." Stiles said, voice hoarse from the nerves buzzing through his body.

"Stiles. Is my deputy, Derek?" Stiles could not look either man in the eye, he couldn't lie to his dad but he couldn't say the words. All the strange things that were happening he wasn't sure of anything at that moment. He thought he was going slightly crazy.

"Sir I can assure you that I have never,"

"Stop." John snapped, all kindness Stiles heard in his voice towards Derek when he first came in, completely gone. Stiles sat in silence and could feel both sets of eyes on him. Mind racing, he didn't know what was going on anymore.

"I. I don't know." stiles quietly admitted.

"You don't know." He repeated back to his son slowly.

"Yeah dad. I don't know. I think I might be going crazy." Stiles said quietly running his hands through his hair.

"What are you talking about?" Stiles looked up eyes darted from his dad to Derek, both looked confused, Derek almost pleading Stiles with his eyes to deny everything. Stiles suddenly had way too much energy to sit, he got up and paced the office as he ran through everything that seemed out of place and odd the last few weeks, both men watching carefully.

"Who is my best friend?" he asked, out of everything Scott or the absence of Scott worried him the most.

"Stiles what does this have to do with anything?" John asked slowly eyes small trying to figure his son out.

"Answer me, dad." Stiles pleading he sounded nearly as desperate as he felt. He sighed quietly before answered his jittery son.

"Stiles. You're my son and I love you but you don't have any friends, not any one I know about my name anyway. You don't really speak to me." His answer made Stiles go stock still, eyes wide in disbelief and panic.

"What about Scott McCall?" Voice breathy, hesitant and stuttering slightly.

"Who?" Fuck Stiles thought, his breathing got heavier and he could feel the beginnings of a panic attack. No, he thought not here, not now. He needed answers. "Wait, that friend you had in 3rd grade before he moved away?"

"He never moved away!" Stiles shouted looking around the room, even in his office Stiles noticed small changes. "Derek is certainly not a deputy!" he continued "I always cook for you and I'm damn good at it, and up until recently you don't look like you've been slapped every time I tell you I love you!" the boy sucked in a few breathes before looked to Derek and carefully approaching, he needed to find out what was happening. "Derek. I need access to your vault."

"What?!" Derek almost shouted, a mixture of shock, confusion and suspicion. John on the other hand looked to Derek in full surprised.

"You have a vault Derek?"

"How do you know about that?" Derek demanded to know, ignoring his boss' question. Stiles took a breath refusing to be reduced to a panic attack and marked vault as another oddity in his mind. Stiles took a step towards Derek, as if approaching a deer trying not to startle it, he kept his voice slow and low trying for calming. He needed Derek's A-game but the werewolf's eyes were large and obviously freaked out by Stiles' knowledge.

"I've been in it. You showed me. It's the only thing really that's left of your family. And I am sorry but I need the information in that vault to figure out what is happening."

"My family? They're fine." Derek replied in hushed tones, eyebrows knitted together in confused. Stiles who had stepped forward toe to toe with Derek stepped back in shock.

"Excuse me?" He had to be hearing things, it couldn't be happening.

"My family are fine Stiles. But I am getting very worried about you."

"Your family is dead." He snapped back, mentally kicking himself for being so unfeeling and for sounding so cold and cruel, but it was true. Nearly all the Hales were dead and  
Derek doesn't seem to know. Stiles is going crazy.

"No they're not." Derek snapped back, Stiles ran his hands through his hair and gripped it in frustration.

"A hunter called Kate Argent seduced you at 16 trapped your family in the house and burned it to the ground." He explained as calmly as he could. There was silence in the room, both Derek and John staring at Stiles like he had sprouted two heads.

"Sheriff" came a terrifyingly familiar voice that made Stiles whip his head round to see the officer leaning into his father's office. His stomach hit the floor and his legs almost gave out from under him.

"Out." His father ordered and was obeyed instantly.

"What the fuck!" Stiles screamed lowering himself into crouching position. If he wasn't already used to; fucked up, supernatural, deadly situations he probably would have passed out. As it were he had a pretty high tolerance to weird shit but this was almost too much for the boy.

"Stiles." John quietly said after getting up and slowly crouching in front of his son who was now in tears.

"He, he died." He gasped out, looking wildly from John to Derek for any kind of realisation a fucking dead deputy is working at the station. He didn't find anything but worry, confusion and fear, but they were directed at him and not the fucking zombie. "He died when we couldn't stop matt and the kanima."

"Kanima?" John asked utterly confused, Stiles was looking at Derek and watched the colour drain from his face at the word. Stiles stood upright on shaky legs and made his way to the werewolf.

"Derek, tell me you remember." He pleaded as he fisted Derek's chest holding his uniform, to hold him close to him as if a lack of distance would make everything clearer. Closeness with Derek used to make everything better, everything clearer, not anymore though. Stiles couldn't even process that thought as he continue to beg Derek to reveal everything as a joke. "Tell me you know what I am talking about." Derek looked to the boy in front of him, clearly worried but also terrified for him, he shot John a glance, considering the closeness of him and Stiles and the story that John believed he didn't want to exacerbate anything, though John was way too distracted by his son's freak out to register anything else. "Tell me. Tell me you're my Sour wolf." Stiles whispered as he moved in to rest his face on Derek's shoulder, he needed his Derek. Even if it wasn't in the way he wanted, he needed his alpha to tell him everything was okay, at that moment all Stiles needed was his alpha. For a split second he felt a small amount of comfort when Derek softly ran his hands down his arms, but it was to push the boy away from him and to hold him there and look into his eyes.

"Stiles, I'm sorry." he didn't understand what as going on, and it was genuinely scarring him, but despite that he was truthful he really was sorry he couldn't relieve any of Stiles' obvious suffering.

"No." Stiles interrupted sounding distraught now. "No you were there. We were paralysed on top on each other." The boy gripped the werewolf's face forcing him to look into his eyes. "You have been there with me through everything." He searched the man's eyes and saw nothing that indicated either memory or recognition. "Have you been cursed by a witch?"

"A witch? Stiles, son, you are not making sense." John came up to his son, touching his shoulder, Stiles stepped away from both of them and sat back into his previously occupied seat suddenly feeling numb.

"Maybe I'm the one that's cursed." He muttered to himself, voice calm and steady for the first time since he has arrived

"No one is cursed Stiles." John tried to reassure his son

"Sherriff, can I have a word with your son in private?" Derek asked, it would be easier to get to the bottom of what is wrong with Stiles without his boss in hearing distance. The good sheriff was unaware of the supernatural and Derek wanted to keep it that way. John however did not take kindly to the request, he straighten up and looked his deputy dead in the eye, it was his sheriff pose and it worked, Derek felt five years old again.

"Deputy ignoring everything else he has said, my son has told me that you are the one to break his heart, I have not forgotten that. So no you can't speak to my underage son in private." Derek nodded in acceptance before slowly making his way to the young boy that was breathing heavily but his heart sounded a little more under control so Derek  
crouched down and waited for Stiles to look at him. Derek didn't however risk any form of touching.

"Stiles. I'm sorry you believe I hurt you. But I haven't. I have never touched you or kissed you or anything else. I am just as confused as you are." Stiles shook his head immediately, this couldn't be happening Stiles thought, he was convinced one of them was cursed, maybe had fake memories? Stiles had no idea, his head hurt and he wanted to cry, to sob to fucking wail at the sky.

"Look." Stiles said as he grabbed his phone from where he had left it. The boy unlocked it and got up photos of him and Derek in bed; a selfie Stiles took of his face to capture that Derek was asleep behind him with an arm over Stiles and a peaceful look on his face, him and the rest of the pack, him and scott and Stiles' favourite picture one that hurt to look at in that moment; Stiles was in bed and took a selfie on his back with Derek's head on his shoulder, Stiles thought the werewolf was sleeping but when he came to take the picture Derek kissed him on the cheek, Stiles loved that photo, but since waking up in that hotel room all alone he hated it in equal parts.

"What is going on?" Derek whispered as he continued to flick through all the photos on Stiles' phone, photos that didn't happen, photos that couldn't have happened. "I think we should go speak to my mum." Derek told the boy in front of him handing his phone back. He had no idea what was happening he was scared and he needed his alpha.

"Your mum. The one that died, right she's alive apparently and one of us is going crazy." Stiles tried to joke as he got up and up his phone in his pocket.

"Stiles, my mum will know what to do." Stiles smiled back to the deputy in front of him. He knew Derek so well for so long it was strange that the man in front of him was so unlike the Derek he loved.

"Let's go." He has been in dire situations before, situations he thought he would never survive, situations where he barely did, he can handle this. Just like going into battle he thought. He just needed to gather information and then come up with a plan to win. It's all he needs to do, the fact that we was unintentionally shaking was neither here nor there. The two began to walk to the door.

"Wait." John told them just as Stiles had the door open ajar, he was so focused on answers that he forgot his father was still in the room with him. "If you think you are coming in here, scaring me to death, then walking out of here with the deputy you have been screwing you are wrong!" Both Stiles and Derek visibly cringed, most of the other officers at the station heard their boss' outburst and where all looking over to the office, Derek had gone bright red and refused to look at them though could feel their glares.

"I haven't," he tried again to explain though he knew it was useless, proven as John didn't let him finish.

"Save it Hale." He warned as he grabbed his jacket. "I am coming with you. My son might be on the verge of a breakdown, he is not leaving my side."


	6. Chapter 6

The three of them piled into the Sheriffs cruiser and made their way to the Hale house. The car ride was awkward and filled with thick silence. Stiles could barely handle it and was fidgeting the whole time. He almost felt like he was riding into battle sat in the back of the car not knowing what was to come. They all silently climbed out of the car and made their way to the front porch steps.

"Mom!" Derek shouted before they reached the door, Stiles couldn't help but smile, despite the pain pulling at his body when he heard Derek shout for his mum, he had to smile because Derek did not have to shout, werewolf hearing meant he was stilling keeping up appearances for his dad. "She's inside, come on."  
The three of them entered the sickeningly familiar house, it look almost identical to the house he helped to rebuild, almost. The boy did not know what to do with that information. Though that sinking sickly feeling in his gut as nothing compared to what awaited him inside.

"Derek, you're home early." An unfamiliar female voice greeted Derek as he walked into the house first. Stiles looked over Derek shoulder and his eyes bulged. It couldn't be, he thought. "Sheriff, good to see you."

"You too." His dad greeted the young woman as if nothing was wrong. Stiles had tears in his eyes breath coming out in short sharp bursts as he tried to get a grip of himself.

"Laura." He breathed out voce wavering and he reeled back a little from shock.

"Hello Stiles." The young woman looked to him and smiled brightly. She took in his whitened face, slack mouth and rabbiting heartbeat. "What's wrong?" she asked sweetly, the attention of both Derek and the Sherriff were now on the shaking teen.

"I, I can't." he gasped out, unconsciously taking small steps towards Derek.

"Can't what?" she asked intrigued and amused at the boy.

"Look at you." He answered closing his eyes and bringing his hands to his eyes and rubbed them, as if trying to rid his brain of this haunting hallucination.

"Excuse me?!"

"Stiles don't be so rude." The Sherriff told his son harshly, frown deep on his face, feeling as if he was missing something.

"I'm sorry but." Stiles opened his eyes looked to the woman in front of him and turned his eyes to the wall, he just couldn't, when he looked at her he saw a corpse. "You shouldn't  
be here. I am defiantly going crazy." He gently grasped Derek on the shoulder getting his attention "Are zombies a thing?"

"What?" Derek asked eyebrow raised.

"You think I'm a zombie? I heard you were a little strange but boy" Laura took a step forward making Stiles step back and almost hitting the wall behind him. "You're really scared of me aren't you?" the boy nodded and swallowed a few times before he was able to reply.

"The last time I saw you Laura you were dead, cut in half, starring up at me from the grave I dug you up from."

"You're sick kid." Laura reply eyes wide stepping back in disgust.

"Am I lying?" he asked, Laura narrowed her eyes at him, listening.

"Then you're crazy."

"I know!" he shouted stepping away from all three of them, all now looking worried again. "None of this is real." He mumbled as he squeezed his eyes shut head in hands. "None of you are real."

"Stiles calm down." Derek told the boy, worried at the rate of his heart and the smell of pure confusion, anxiety and fear.

"Easier said than done Derek." He bit back but didn't move or open his eyes.

"Laura where's mum?" he asked tearing his eyes of the boy, he needed his alpha and he needed to sort this out.

"In the kitchen talking to peter, they are waiting for you." Derek nodded and turned to head toward kitchen

"Derek, I can't" Stopped Derek in his tracks by holding onto his arm.

"Can't what?"

"I can't see peter." Derek was frowning again, Stiles had to push the thought of the similarities between this Derek and the Derek before the world went crazy away, before he could continue "Don't look at me like that sour wolf," he almost begged, it hurt to see it. "I can't see him. We don't have a good history and the last time I saw him I threatened his life. Considering his history with murder and psychotic breaks I think I should keep my distance." Stiles had barely finished his sentence when he was being shoved into the nearest wall by the werewolf in front of him, Laura gasped in shock, the Sherriff stunned into silence and Stiles was not fazed in the slightest.

"Never. Speak. About. Peter. Like. That." He growled close to the boy's throat, Stiles though much to Derek's surprise did not smell of fear, not in the slightest. Stiles showed this by rolled his eyes at the wolf.

"Yeah, yeah big guy I get it, you're stronger and bigger than me and can throw me into walls. You stopped being scary a long time ago Derek. Get off me." He gave Derek a shove backwards, who willingly took a step back, a little stunned at the strange boy in front of him, out of everything that was freaking him out, the threat of actual violence did little to worry him in fact it went some way to calm the boy.

"You got guts kid." Laura smirked and spoke into the void silence that settled around them as Derek and Stiles were seemingly staring each other down.

"Laura leave" Derek bit back, Laura held her hands up and stepped back, out of the immediate situation but she did not leave the room.  
The Sherriff made his way towards his son and deputy, hand on the handle of his gun, other hand tightly grasping his deputy's shoulder, getting the man's full attention.

"Derek. If you ever touch me son again I will not hesitate to use my gun or arrest you. Whichever comes first." Voice dark and deadly serious.

"It's fine dad. I can handle Sour wolf." Stiles told them, straightening his shirt. "Oh alpha my alpha over there would never really hurt me. He saved my life too many times for his threats to have any weight."

"What did you just call me?" he asked, head snapped almost violently towards Stiles, eyes wide in shock.

"Sour wolf. You don't remember that?! Was everyone hit with a memory spell or something?" He asked, at a loss at what to think, nothing was making sense anymore, even less than before, Derek was less an alpha and more a scared puppy.

"He meant alpha." A strong feminine voice carried into the wall a moment before revealing a tall woman, with long straight brown hair and stern, confuse face. "You Mr Stilinski just called my son an Alpha."

"Talia Hale." Stiles breathed "wow." His brain short circuited, suddenly everything shattered to pieces, everything was different, everyone else he had seen that had died he had already met, he hadn't the chance to meet Talia before she burned, somehow this made a difference to Stiles. "You're, you're" he couldn't get his words out, what was he trying to say? What could he say? Talia lifted a single arched brow at the jittery, stuttering mess or a human in front of her, upon seeing her raising an eyebrow the teen stilled, muscles relaxed an inch. "You're totally Derek's mum."

"Also his alpha." She told him pointedly "My son is not an alpha. I don't know what story he has told you but he is my beta."

"Alpha? Beta? What is going on?" the Sheriff interrupted looking around the room before his gaze fixed onto Talia, which wasn't surprising Stiles thought, she had the biggest presence in the room.

"Sheriff, I believe we have a lot to discuss. Primarily the issue with Stiles." Both heads turned to Stiles who was looked at the floor, ears red at the attention.

"So my dear nephew told you he was an alpha." A smooth voice cut through the air, Stiles eyes shot up to find peter around a foot away from him.

"Peter." He said stepping away from the man in front of him and again towards Derek. "What did I say about a minimum distance?"

"Now, now Stiles, what did I ever do to you?" smirk in place, he looked like he was enjoying the situation and Stiles' discomfort, basted.

"Do you want a list?!" he shouted, angry that peter always came out of situation clean and on top. "I think kidnap and murder is at the top."

"What?" Both Peter and Talia asked, shocked at Stiles' accusations.

"You killed Laura to become alpha." All eyes went to Laura, she gestured to herself as if to say, alive and well.

"Laura isn't an alpha Stiles" Derek told him slowly.

"She was after the fire." She replied, was silent for a beat looked around at the Hales, alive and well, house unburnt and intact. "That never happened." Turning to peter. "You never went crazy." Turned to Derek and pointed at him "you never killed peter and became alpha. Don't like at me like that peter you weren't dead for long." The teen rested against the wall, puzzle pieces seemed to be slotting into place "it's different. But the same." Stiles silently catalogued every strange and out of place person or event he has come across since waking up in that dreaded hotel room. "Am. Am I" It couldn't be could it? Seems impossible but then a lot of thing that should have been impossible were deadly true in his life. "I know what's wrong." He looked to Talia. "I'm in a parallel universe aren't I?"

"I believe so Mr Stilinski." A familiar voice followed by a familiar figure came from the other room and entered into the hallway to join everyone else.

"Deaton!" Stiles almost shouted, moved across to stand in front of him. "I know you love being cryptic but please. Tell me what is happening."

"I don't know."

"What?!" he shouted, as far as he was aware Deaton was never completely clueless, no matter what the Dr said.

"I have never seen this myself. I have heard of it though. I will have to make some calls. Might take some time." A small flicker of hope rose in the teen's chest, he opened his mind to reply but was cut off by a very frustrated sounding Sherriff.

"Okay everyone stop." Eyes turned to John who was looked angry and uncomfortable. "Someone had better explain exactly what is happening right now."

"Okay dad," Stiles started, "Erm." He faltered, how could he possibly word this? "The thing is." Tears were falling down his face, he swore to himself he would always keep this from his father, keep his father safe. He tried to speak through the tears, breathing heavy. "I spent so long trying to keep this from you. Everything I have been through and everything I have done, I tried so hard." He wiped his hand down his face trying to pull himself together "told you so many lies." He took a step towards his father. "I was trying to protect you."  
"Stiles you're worrying me." John told him, closing the gap between them and holding his sons head in his hands.

"I'm sorry. I know you're not my dad. I mean you're dad but not my dad you know, this shouldn't be so hard."

"Stiles I don't know what all this parallel universe thing means, sounds crazy to me but you are my son and I love you."

"I love you too." He coughed out a few sobs before he could continue, everyone in the room was listening intently. All sets of eyes however were adverted to give them both at least some resemblance of privacy. "I have needed to tell you for so long. I have been so scared dad. So scared I was going to die and you wouldn't know why. That the next I am kidnapped, I wouldn't come back. Derek was always there to save me but I lost him." He looked over to Derek and he felt his heart break all over again. "He's a whole world away and this Derek, he's not my Derek." It was all too much, Stiles broke down and openly sobbed, John wrapped his arms around his son and held on tight and rocked him slowly like he used to as a child.

"Okay, can someone else explain the situation to me, Stiles has said enough. He needs to calm down."

"We should talk in my study Sheriff." Talia said and John nodded, Laura took a shaking Stiles to the living room and sat him on the sofa and John followed Talia into her study.  
Stiles sat in the living room for a long time, Laura sat next to him she was wanted to comfort him, but didn't know what to do. She remembered how scared he looked when he saw her, she knew that in his world she was dead, she didn't know what to do with that information. She didn't even know parallel universes existed let alone people can travel across them. Derek seemed to be in the same boat, he lingered by the door for a little while unsure whether his presents would be a help or hindrance, and soon Derek quietly approached and sat in an armchair across the room from Stiles and Laura of the sofa. After a little while his crying lessened and hands became steadier.

"Stiles." Laura whispered and gingerly reached a hand out and touched the boy on the shoulder. When the boy didn't flinch or move away the grip got a little firmer.  
They spoke a little about anything that was on any of their minds, movies, books, TV shows, anything. Stiles slowly relaxed. Derek relaxed along with them and had moved closer onto the sofa with them and took part in the conversation. It was Derek that brought it up first, Stiles was a little grateful for that.

"So you're a different Stiles?" He nodded, "and we're." Derek waved between them, stiles in return nodded, again, a little flushed glad he didn't have to say or hear the actual words "wow. And I'm." again he didn't need to hear the words, he knew that in his world much like he suspected in this one too, Laura was to be next in line to be alpha. The idea of Derek being alpha must have been more than crazy. "Huh." Is all Derek said back to the idea, he did look troubled though.

"And I'm dead?" Laura asked with morbid curiosity.

"You all are." Stiles told her with a heavy heart and wavering voice.

"That's horrible." Laura told him and moved her hand to hold his, for as much her own comfort as for his, Stiles held on just as tight.

"Death seems to follow us around."

"What happened?" Laura asked quietly.

"Do you really want to know?" She thought about it, looked around her home to her little brother, the thought of it all being gone hurt, no, she didn't want the details.

"No, no it sounds horrible."

"Who kidnapped you?" Derek asked, Stiles turned to him, it reminded him so much of his Derek, despite everything, everything he could have asked and he asked that.

"Hunters twice and on one occasion witches. I don't count that time with peter."

"Jesus." Derek mumbled, Stiles looked away from him, he saw pity in the man's eyes and he couldn't bare it, he did not need to be pitied, it made him strong he can handle himself.

"It does feels like a war zone half the time." He admitted. "My pack needs me, I need to get back."

"Don't worry Stiles, we'll get you back." Laura told him, she sounded so certain he couldn't help but smile he remembered that kind of naive optimism, it touched him, the idea that he will have help that they will work with him.

"You're going to help me?"

"You're pack Stiles. I can smell it, another universe pack but pack is pack."

"Thank you." He smiled his first genuine smile since entering the house, probably of the day. The three of them settled into silence for a little while, before long John, Deaton and Talia re-joined them, his father looked paler than usual and a little worn around the edges.

"So, werewolves huh." He said and Stiles gulped

"Dad. I can explain." He hurried out but john held out his hand and Stiles silenced.

"Don't. Talia has explain everything, I can't handle anymore right now." He told his son and scrubbed his hand over his face, looking tired.

"Drink sheriff?" Talia asked as she directed him to an armchair.

"Please." he said as he settled down, Talia came into the living room a few moments later with a glass of scotch. "Thank you." He was silent as he took a sip, only then after a deep breath did he speak. "So Where is my son?" Stiles didn't know what to say, he had no answers he felt awful, he was thinking of himself and getting back he didn't even start to wonder about the Stiles from this world. He fixed his gaze to the floor, he couldn't look at his father. It was Deaton that spoke, he was the only one of them that was still standing.

"We are working on the assumption that the two Stiles' were swapped, so we are hoping that returning Stiles to his world, our Stiles will then return."

"Hoping?" John asked eyebrows drawn together.

"It's the best plan we have." Deaton reasoned, it made sense Stiles thought but he didn't like the uncertainty of returning the other Stiles.

"Okay fine." John told the Dr before turning back to his well-deserved drink. It was clear that he accepted the answer as the only one they had but it didn't mean the Sheriff like it.

"I will start right away and make some calls." Deaton told the room before turning to head out.

"Deaton." He turned to look to the boy on the sofa, "Thanks." They nodded to each other and Stiles watched Deaton leave.

It was silent for a little while, everything thinking of what they could say. Suprisingly it was Derek that spoke first.

"What's the other Derek like?"

"Huh?" Stiles asked he was too absorbed in his own thoughts to hear the wolf.

"What's the other Derek like?" he repeated patiently, even that was different there was no annoyance or eyebrow quirk, nothing, just genuine patience and understanding. Stiles thought a little about before he answered the question.

"He's a dick; always putting himself in danger, running into it without a moment's thought to save others, most of the time without a plan, or listening to the plan I am giving him, he has a real martyr complex. Rattled with guilt and doesn't think he deserves nice things."

"Sounds like a treat." Derek said sarcastically, Stiles could help but smile at all the memories he had of him.

"He is. He is fiercely loyal and trustworthy, he tries to hide it but, he's a softie, he loves strong and hard and it scares him. He a little lost and bewildered by the life he has been given, but he is doing it best." He looked up and caught Derek's eye "He created a pack full of lost and outcast teenagers and created a family, gave them a purpose, he saved them." Tears began to well again. "He has a kind heart." Even though he was beginning to cry the boy could stop the small genuine smile "Brilliant sense of humour, when he choose to use it always makes me laugh." Stiles was silent for a few beats, smile gone, mind racing with thoughts of his Derek, he was suddenly cold at the realisation that Derek could have been in the hotel room, could have kept his promise and could feel just as lost right now as him. He crossed his arms to his chest and thought about just how far away he was, how it felt near impossible to ever be with the wolf again. He continued voice now meek and small. "I felt safe with him, in his arms, but now he's," he let out a sob before continuing, voice a little high and his words came out a little faster than normal. "He's a whole a universe away and I never told him I love him."

"Wow." Derek breathed clearly not expected such an emotional response, Stiles was back to crying and shaking from the attempt of trying to rein it under control. It was Laura that moved, Laura to break the awkward silence in the room as Stiles sobbed as quietly as possible on the sofa. The young wolf crouched in front of the boy and held onto his hands.

"We'll get you back Stiles, I promise." He looked into her eyes, he saw truth but he didn't know what to believe, the whole plan to return him to his world is based of maybes and tied up with hope. It almost felt like home he thought.

"How can you be so sure Laura."

"Listen. That Derek of yours, is so lucky to have someone love him so much. You are both pack and it hurts to see you in so much pain." She moved one of the boys hands to her chest over her heart "Listen to my heart, feel it. I will do anything it takes to get you across the universe to be with my brother." She sounded so sincere so certain of success it was almost infectious. He threw his arms around her and for a moment allowed himself a moment to picture what it would have been like if Laura had lived, he bet that she would have been an awesome alpha and an awesome sister in law.

"Thank you." He mumbled before they broke apart and smiled to each other, Stiles tears were drying up and he did feel better, felt less alone.

"He is lucky to have you." Derek told him from the other side of the couch.

"You are the lucky one." Stiles told him, turning his whole body to face the man. "Never take your family to granted Derek. You became a different person when you lost them. Your hard shell is slowly coming off but it has been years and you still have nightmares. You, you are the lucky one." Derek smiled a little but didn't respond, not knowing what to say. Stiles kept eye contact just taking the time to look. He knew now that this Derek was not his Derek. The Derek he fought side by side with, he wasn't the Derek that he had had blazing arguments with, the Derek that annoyed him and he irritated, this Derek wasn't the one that save his life countless times, the one that charged in without plan or thought, risked his life, to save him. This Derek wasn't his Derek. Stiles knew that, but it still hurt to look at. He had mourned the loss of them, he had felt his heart break many times over the last week. Now though he realised, it may have been for nothing. Stiles may have put himself through hell, for nothing. His Derek may be at home searching for him. Wanting him back. The boy hoped that were the case, if anyone could save him it was his alpha.

"Hey." Laura spoke quietly, touching his arm which pulled his gaze, finally, away from her Derek, who looked thankful to have Stiles' lost but piercing eyes not focused on him anymore. "When you get back, tell my brother, tell him I love my baby brother and I'm sorry I couldn't protect him."

"You did Laura, you did protect him. He loves you too."

"Laura, I do love you. I'm not going anywhere." Derek told his sister "I love you." Laura nodded to her brother and wiped away a tear in response.

Stiles left not long after that, Talia informed them that the rest of the pack would be home soon and Stiles did not want to see any more dead family members of Derek's than he had too.

He needed to be in his own home, familiar soundings with his dad, the one person he knows will make him feel better. Though, it wasn't his dad he thought, the boy was suddenly terrified that John no longer wanted to be near Stiles as he wasn't his real son. He needn't have worried, after John had finished his glass he stood up and said,

"Come on kiddo, time to go home."


	7. Chapter 7

That night Stiles cooked his mom's favourite meal and the two Stilinski men sat somewhat awkwardly at the table. The newly revealed truth lay heavily in the air around them both.

Stiles had many questions he wanted to ask the Sherriff of his other life but for some reason found it difficult to ask. As if the questions were too personal, too private. Though he felt silly thinking it, he was in one way or another, asking about himself.

The boy couldn't grasp however, exactly what the Sherriff thought of having a stranger with his sons face taking up residency in his home and his life. Stiles was internally debating whether his question should be asked, whether or not he had a right to the answers. It was the Sherriff however that asked first, seemingly having the same debate himself.

"Am I a good father in your erm, universe?"

"The best." Stiles answered immediately and without thought.

"And yet I'm happy with you, fighting monsters and being in a, in a pack?"

"Like I said before, you don't know. I meant it when I said you were a hero. You do everything for beacon hills, to protect it and its people. Every time you go on shift I pray you come back alive, because I know if it came down to a choice between you and one of your deputy's, you would volunteer to take the bullet. It scares me, but. I am so proud to be your son dad. When I found out about all this supernatural crap, I didn't see danger, I saw the people that needed my help. I saw your face and I knew what you would do. I couldn't let my father know. He would face it like he would everything else and I can't risk more danger of losing you."

"He would be proud of you. I know I am. You Stiles are a hero and you don't do it for glory or medals or recognition. You do it for love. The love of your friends and the people you protect. I am proud of the person my son could be." Stiles didn't know what to say or think about that, he didn't see himself as a hero he didn't see himself as anything, pushing thoughts aside stiles decided it was in fact acceptable to ask his questions.

"What's me like? Stiles mark 2."

"A survivor, his mom, you know."

"Yeah I do. I guess somethings just don't change."

"He took it hard. He feels lost and alone. I guess he really is now. And he is in the middle of what sounds like a horror show."

"Don't worry. My pack will have figured this out sooner than the embarrassingly long time it took me. Stiles will be protected, my pack will do everything to keep him safe. I promise. He will return."

The reality of how far away his son truly was seemed to hit him, and Stiles couldn't stop his arms being flung around his father's neck. Praying his real father did not have the same expression on his face.

That night Stiles found out about who he had named in his head as his evil twin, though he would never say it out loud. He would never hurt his kind of dad that way. Who by the end of the night looked exhausted and drained from having his reality shattered around him and finding out how lost he was in a crazy freaky world.

Stiles found out about his evil twin's misdemeanours and illegal activity, about as long a list as his own, only without the good intensions. He found out about his attitude, the broken bond of his and his father's relationship. It made Stiles want to weep to get home even more, to tell his real father just how much he loved him.

Somewhere between finishing his meal and winding down the conversation with dad 2 he realised that despite what he had discovered and everything going around in his mind, he still had to go to school the next day. The teen moaned before saying goodnight to his current father and dragged himself to his room. When he got there he realised it wasn't his room, technically and now he looked around knowing what had happened, he saw just how similar and different he was to his evil twin.

He sat on the bed and looked around, again he was torn. Should he give into his curiosity? Soon he realised that it was still him and it was still his room, technically, however feeble the reason and decided to go with it and gave into his desire to rummage. He soon came across a weirdly familiar box under his bed. The boy sat on the floor with the unopened box in front of him. He had one too. His he filled with parchments, scrolls in dead languages, snippets of spells, mountain ash and his supernatural diary where he kept a log of his 'adventures' plus a dagger or two. It was a place to keep the things he needed most hidden. If his evil twin used it for the same purpose he was itching, rather apprehensively, to know what was inside. He carefully opened the lid and instantly gawked at what he found; cigarettes, lighters, something Stiles suspiciously suspected to be weed, rizzlers, a half empty bottle of whiskey, condoms, lube, a cock ring, an impressively large dildo and probably most surprisingly, a photocopied picture of deputy Hale's ID photo.

Stiles couldn't help but smirk it seemed that his 'type', that was Derek, spanned across universes. Which was albeit rather touching, but it alit the urge to get back to his world, to his Derek. To see him, touch him and to finally tell the wolf just how much he loved his stupid face. Stiles silently and carefully placed everything back where he found it and climbed into bed.

He knew his pack where working on getting him back, he knew they would protect the other Stiles, he knew he would return to them but for now he had to live as Stiles mark 2 until he could get home.

Knowing where he was, what had happened, knowing he wasn't crazy and that Derek hadn't deserted him and destroyed his life did make the mundane chore of going to school easier. He could spend a few day as a student civilian. And not have to worry about the supernatural crashing into class and ruining his day.

He called Deaton for an update, satisfied Deaton was working on it and was asked to pick up a book after school. Which, the man told him, may hold some answers, but it needed translating. Stiles quite happily went to school after that, progress he thought.

Stiles had forgotten how mundane and boring school was without either a life and death crisis or friends. The day dragged on and on. The only joy he took from the day was when he turned up to Harris' class and aced a pop quiz. The shock on both Harris' and the students in the room was rather amusing.

The teen kept an eye open for his pack, that weren't his pack, but he wanted to at least see them. He spotted them all at lunch;

Erica, her frizzy hair and baggy clothes were back she was sitting on her own with head phones on eating an apple.

Isaac, he was sat outside with Cora Hale, his eyebrows rose when he spotted them through the window but he said nothing, at least they had each other.

Boyd, He was harder to find, which surprised Stiles due to the sheer size of the boy. He did eventually find him, in the library surrounded by small piles of books.

Lydia, she was the easiest to find he simply followed the scent of stuck up bitch that, unlike his Lydia, remained unchanged. She was sat with Jackson, Danny and some other familiar faces from his school. Kira was also surprisingly sat at the table with them laughing along as Lydia told a story. Stiles supposed she was this worlds Allison, who Stiles guessed by her absence hadn't moved to beacon hills.

All his pack where accounted for and seemed relatively unharmed and certainly not in any mortal danger. The only face Stiles longed to see in the hallways was the one he knew he wouldn't see, Scott.

He didn't approach any of the teens in his pack, merely seeing them settles the ache in his chest a little. Though questions still arose in his mind, was Erica still epileptic and bullied for it? Was Boyd still crushingly lonely? Was Isaac still abused? He had to push it all aside, he didn't want to change too much of the world around him. It was not his world and he wouldn't be in it for long, but he did make a mental note to talk to his dad about Isaac in his world encase it was happening here as well.

His day went surprisingly smoothly, though he constantly felt like an observer to the world instead of living in it, though he supposed he was.

The boy raced to Deaton's after school who gave him a huge, carefully wrapped ancient looking book that was written in archaic Latin. Stiles was secretly thrilled to be given the task of translating, it made him feel useful instead of useless in a world not his own.

He got cracking on the book as soon as he got home, he worked on it for hours that night, he worked on it for days but with little progress he was getting frustrated, he only knew one person that knew the language and only one person smart enough to help him, Lydia.

Though the Lydia here was not his banshee warrior princess, here she was a queen. Queen of the high school hierarchy that Stiles has learnt he is not even on the bottom rung of. Here he is a bratty teenager with issues and an appalling attitude, who has given up on school and seemed to have a tendency to get high. The idea of getting Lydia to willingly help him was almost laughable, but he knew Lydia, kind of, he knew deep down she was a good person and her desire for a challenge and curiosity almost outweighed his own. He had to try, he had to try anything if it meant it might help him get home.


	8. Chapter 8

The next day Stiles decided he would attempt to get Lydia's help during lunch. The teen took a few breathes and approached the small crowd of people in the corridor, Lydia of course, in the middle.

"Lyds I need a word." The crowd instantly silenced and Lydia's perfect eyebrows rose and Stiles mentally slapped himself for the use of her nickname. It was Jackson and not Lydia who eventually spoke.

"Who the fuck do you think you are Stilinski?"

"Stilinski?" Lydia asked scanning Stiles' face "so you're the insignificant Cretan that thought it wise to try and humiliate my boyfriend?" her words hurt Stiles more than he cared to admit, she was exactly the kind of girl his Lydia had been before they became unlikely friends. 'Not my Lydia.' Stiles had to remind herself.

"I did more than attempt, though I think the title of cretin goes to the jerk that thought it big of him to bully a freshman." Lydia hummed in reply "look Lydia I could really use your help translating a book." Again her eyebrows raised this time in surprise and Stiles hoped intrigue.

"Fuck off freak. Stop trying to hit on her with ridiculous requests, why the hell would she want to do that?" Jackson snarled draping an arm over the strawberry blondes shoulders, Stiles could see she was getting annoyed but that was only due to him knowing the other Lydia. To anyone else she seemed completely placid.

"Please, if I did was to hit on anyone Do you really think I would use translating as a pick up line? Besides, I am not interested."

"Yeah, word has it you're into deputies, can you say daddy issues?" Jackson smirked and the Stiles around him snickered. Stiles took a step forward and snarled back, voice deep and intimidating, a trick he learnt from Derek.

"You want to stop talking Jackson? or are we going to go another round. I wouldn't mind another chance to kick your ass." Jackson simultaneously shied away from the threat and rose to it, not willing to lose face with his friends.

"Yeah Jackson lay off him. It's Lydia Stiles was talking too. He didn't come here for a fight." Danny interjected, Stiles threw a grateful smile towards the boy, happy that Danny had not changed.

"Danny please, if you want to fuck the freak just say."

"First Lydia, now Danny. How much of a whore do you think I am Whitmore?" Both boys squared up again, Stiles was really sick of Jackson and now he was a mushy, untrained human, Stiles could easily teach him a lesson or two. Jackson like this, would be incredibly easy to break in two.

"Boy's please, this macho crap is exceedingly boring." Lydia piped up instantly demanding everyone's attention and flipped her hair over one shoulder. "Okay, speak. What translating?"

"I acquired a book on loan that needs translating for a friend. You are the smartest person I know, and something tells me you have a knack for archaic Latin." Everyone was silent as Lydia pouted in thought.

"As it happens I do. Give me the book and I'll see what I can do."

"Can't do that Lyds, it's very old and rare and I can't not risk it getting into the wrong hands."

"Well now my curiosity is peaked." Lydia looked to the students around her then at the time. "Library, after school." With that she turned and walked down the corridor. Her followers doing what they did best and followed suit, he could hear the sound of Jackson protesting as they made their way down the corridor.

Stiles smiled to himself as he finished the rest of the school day, hoping finally for some progress to get him back to where he belongs.

The last bell of the day rang and Stiles made his way to the library. He knew that in true Lydia fashion she would take her own sweet time arriving. Knowing this, Stiles got comfy on a table at the back and flicked through the photos on his phone. He saw photo after photo of him and his pack, a sad smile appeared on his face as he saw them. Movements were stilled when he got to his once favourite photo, the one where Derek was kissing his cheek. He froze as he stared, remember that morning, of taking that photo, of the warm feeling of a naked Derek beside him. He couldn't stop the tears that rose in his eyes and threatened to fall. The young boy did the one thing he could do, he called Derek. He knew he shouldn't, he knew Derek wasn't his Derek but he needed something. He needed a connection, he needed to try something to silence the ache in his chest, something he thought only his alpha could do. He knew Derek wasn't an alpha here but, he was still Derek.

"Hello?"

"Derek, hi." Stiles breathed, eyes closed as he imagined the man was in front of him instead.

"Stiles?" he asked, obviously a little groggy, like he had just woken up. He must have been doing night shifts.

"Yeah." He breathe, pain in his chest loosening a fraction

"Why are you ringing me, do you have any news from Deaton?"

"No, not yet." He choked out, the ache tripled at Derek's unintentional dismissive words and attitude physically hurt him.

"I don't think it is a good idea you call me Stiles." His Derek had his flaws but he never, not once, cast him aside or ignored his worried or suffering.

"Derek wait, I know. I know I have caused trouble, I know that what I said, what I accused you of wasn't true and I know I have no right to ask anything of you, but. Derek it hurts, it really hurts." Stiles was mumbling into the phone, head bowed and his free has clenched tightly into a fist and resting on the table

"What hurts Stiles, should I call your father?"

"Being away from my pack, my alpha, my home, my world." He boy was whispering now, but he knew that Derek could still hear him, he just needed, something.

"I see." Derek spoke softy, uncertainty evident in his voice. He was clearly out of his depth, used to being comforted not doing the comforting, used to going to his alpha no being one.

"I need my alpha Derek, I need you to tell me everything will be okay, I need you to tell me I will return home, that I will see you again, please?"

"Stiles, I am no alpha."

"You are to me. You are the closest thing I have to pack here Derek. Haven't you ever felt this?" When stiles would look back on this phone call, he knew he would be embarrassed over how desperate he was sounding but right now he didn't care.

"Once." Derek admitted, voice sounding calmer and kinder. " When I was younger than you and I went on a weeklong camping trip with friends. It was awful." Stiles heard the man sigh down the phone, "You right Stiles. I'm sorry, I was so caught up in myself, I never stopped to think of the impact your situation has on you. But you're right Stiles. We will find a way to get you home."

"You promise?"

"Yes. I promise you."

"Thank you."

"Goodbye Stiles."

"Bye sour wolf." Stiles heard a half-hearted sigh on the other end before he hung up and he smiled. He was right I seemed that Derek in any universe could calm him, reassure him, more than he could ever do himself. It didn't even matter that Derek was as clueless as him, it worked.

He pocketed his phone and a few moments later Lydia appeared by his table, Jackson and Danny both in tow.

"Why are they here?" Stiles asked, he didn't want more people than necessary involved in his mission to cross universes.

"Did you really think I would let you be alone with Lydia Stilinski?" Stiles looked to the strawberry blonde standing in front of him.

"What? It's just a book, if Jackson wants to waste his time sat here than that's his problem." She had a point he thought, as far as the other three students at the table were concerned it was an innocent favour and the book and it's contents were equally innocent, he sighed in agreement. "Well, let's see the book then. I don't have all day." He arms crossed and eyes already looking bored.

Stiles hesitated a little throwing a glance to the other boys but he knew from experience not to deny Lydia her requests. He was sure this Lydia was the same and needed the same amount of respect and caution. Maybe even more so because this Lydia had not lost her spikey outer layer. Stiles nodded, he stood and removed the large ancient unreadable book from his bag. It was wrapped in a deep purple velvet with black coil with a silver crest. Stiles recognised it as a powerful protection ruin, from one of the many spell books he had read in recent years. He placed it carefully on the desk before him, all three students now on their feet they stood gathered around the Stiles as he carefully unwrapped the book and its ancient pages.

"Fucking hell Stilinski, where the hell did you get something like that?" Jackson asked as he sat himself back down trying to feign disinterest.

"Like I said, a friend loaned it to me so I can translate it."

"Looks like it should be in a museum." Lydia almost whispered as she too sat and closely examined the front cover.

"Easy there Dr Jones. It belongs to a private collection." Lydia huffed a laugh and Stiles almost preened at the being able to accomplish it.

"Seems suspicious to me."

"Really Jackson. Do you really think it is a rouse to get into Lydia's pants?"

"I mean, why would some random 'friend' of yours give you a priceless book from his private collection to translate which you can't even to do so without help? Are you sure you didn't steal it? We all know you reputation." Stiles as going to shoot back a reply, but he remembered the conversation he had had about his evil twin. It was probably possible of him, crap he thought. All three of the faces in front of him where now filled with suspicion and weariness. Why did Jackson have to go and open his stupid mouth? Even Danny looked doubtful of his story, though he at least had the good nature to look sorry about it.

"Okay fine." Stiles exclaimed, he knew there was only one way to convince the three and get Lydia's help to translate the pages and maybe find a way to get him home. He fished out his phone and rung Deaton. He put the phone on speaker and hoped he knew what he was doing and prayed that Deaton was just as smart and sneaky as his Deaton was.

"Stiles." Deaton said as a greeting when he answered his phone.

"Heya Deaton."

"Any progress on the book?"

"I'm working on it, I have roped in a girl at school to help translating. She is wicked smart."

"Is she trust worthy?"

"Don't worry Dr she won't try and steal the book. She was wanting to know how I got hold of such a book and thought it best coming from the source. So I put you on speaker." Play again stiles thought, play along, play along, play along.

"Stiles. I do not want every teenager in this town handling my property it is very old, very delicate and very expensive. Though I suppose if you trust this girl that is good enough for me. I want those pages translated as soon as possible. My client is not a patient man."

"I know Deaton, like I said I am working on it but dude, archaic Latin did you think I just know this language?"

"Just be quick." With that Deaton hung up. Stiles looked to each student around him in their eyes.

"Did that answer your questions?" silence "Can we get started now?" he asked Lydia who nodded and even looked suitably shamed with light pink dash of colour high on her cheeks. "Good." Stiles said and he carefully opened the book to begin.

Both he and Lydia god absorbed quickly. They worked in companionable silence. Much like he had done many times with his Lydia. The occasional comment was made or request to pass something to one another, or check over their progress. They worked that were for hours, the library was closing, backs ached and necks were stiff. Despite finding nothing of importance regarding his situation, he had successfully grabbed Lydia's attention who has told him 'same time tomorrow.' before sauntering out the library Jackson and Danny trailing after her.

The second day went by like the first, again Jackson and Danny showed up. Only this time with more things to do and use. Both underestimating their length of stay yesterday. It didn't take long before Danny started to help, he had begun researching the book and find translation references and snippets of previously translated passages online. Jackson was the only student remaining at the table that was not helping Stiles with his mission. The sulky teen divided his time up between playing on his phone, messaging, huffing and puffing to show the extent of his boredom and starring daggers into Stiles.

"How strange." Lydia mumbled almost to herself.

"What?" Stiles asked as he stopped his work and looked over to Lydia and her admittedly much tidier work station. Five times now those words had escaped her lips. Each time it was, yes strange but not relevant, so he asked with both hope and resignation.

"This passage. It goes on to talk about crosses universes." Stiles leapt to his feet so suddenly he knocked his chair to the floor and hurriedly made his way over to the girl now frowning at him and his reaction.

"What does it say?" She didn't answer and instead handed over the English version as he eyed him suspiciously. Stiles clutched the paper as tightly as he could in an attempt to stop his shaky hands, so not to show just how important this was to him.

Stiles read it three times before he dared to hope at hat he was looking at; a very old set of rules and instructions on how to travel to a parallel universe. Even better was the specific paragraph on returning to your original universe.

"Lydia." He croaked, who rose her eyebrows. "I need this section here, translated to Celtic, as soon as you can."

"Why?" she asked her voice wavered a little by confusion at Stiles reaction and the urgency of his voice. The teen did not answer, just gave Lydia a look, whatever she saw in it made her nod in agreement.

"I need to make a call." Stiles announced and left the table and three confused and deeply curious teens. He made his way to the other side of the library to a deserted section out of everybody's earshot and redialled Deaton's number.

"Stiles."

"We found something."

"What is it?"

"If I am right. We hit the jackpot. It is pretty much a step by step guide on traveling across universes and returning someone to their original universe. Complete with shopping list and spell." Stiles was speaking faster than normal and paced up and down the aisle from nature books, occasionally biting a hang nail.

"That is unbelievable."

"Lydia is translating the spell into Celtic now."

"Celtic. How did you know?"

"The silver seal is an ancient and powerful Celtic ruin of protection. I have seen it before, it would make sense the spell would also be in Celtic."

"Smart. I will call Talia Hale now. When will the spell be finished?"

"By all accounts Celtic is a pretty easy language and knowing how smart Lydia is, not long at all." Stiles was taken aback a little by Deaton's surprised, it had been a while since anyone in his home had underestimated him, he did not miss it.

"Good come to the house when you are done."

"There is only one possible snag."

"What?"

"Some of the items on the list. I have encountered them before, the other Dr had to source and acquire them. I won't say it was easy or pretty." stiles sighed, he hated the memory, he hated the fight it led to, the scar it had given him and the almost loss of one of the pack.

"Let's cross the bridge when we come to it."

"Okay, whatever you say doc."

"See you shortly."

"Yeah."

Stiles made his way back to the table, feeling lighter than he had in weeks. When he arrived back, no one looked at him.

"What is it?" he asked, it took a while for someone to answer and when they did it was Lydia who spoke.

"We are getting very bored Stiles."

"Have you finished the last bit of translating?" he asked ignoring her statement, it was of little importance to him.

"Not yet." She told him turning back to her paper and Danny's borrowed laptop. "Thought I hear Celtic is pretty easy so it won't take long." She told him as she continued to work. Stiles nodded and started packing away, taking extra care of Deaton's book.

"What's the hurry?" Danny asked from across the table, Stiles faltered a little before continuing.

"I have a deadline." He said as smoothly as possible, the lie sounded quite convincing even to his own ears.

"Since when does little tear away Stilinski care about deadlines?" Jackson asked, obviously trying to goad him into another argument.

"Because this one matters. Are you done Lyds?" he asked before more questions could be asked of him.

"Here." She said as she handed him the pieces of paper, he grinned wildly shouted his thanks a he hurried out of the library and towards his jeep. He placed his backpack with the book in it on the back seat carefully before jetting off to the hale house. Grin in place the whole time, he could be home soon he thought, he would see his father, his pack and his Derek again, soon. The teen refused to let in thoughts of possible disasters that could prevent this from happening and allowed himself to hope, something he had long since been wary of.


	9. Chapter 9

By the time the teen arrived at the Hale house. He was almost buzzing in the joy, and the boy could feel his fingers tingling. In all the hectic revelations Stiles forgot to inform dad 2 of his findings. As Stiles had made the decision to make a conscious effort not to exclude or lie to his father anymore, at least as much as he can without putting him in danger. He typed a quick but informative text, knowing his dad 2 was at work so knew it would not be possible to get him on the phone. The Sherriff replied, pretty much instantly, telling Stiles, much to his surprise that he already knew. That Derek had told him and requested the rest of the day off so he could be there, even more to his surprise is that the Sherriff agreed.

Stiles took a few breathes, despite everything it was still hard to see Derek, to see the familiar face and hear the familiar voice. Seeing the man he loved, so content with a life without him in it. He had a glimpse of what Derek could have had if not for Kate. He pushed away this thought, concentrated on the job at hand and as carefully and calmly as possible he gathered his things and made his way to the house.

The hope he was clinging to still alive and well as he made his way up the steps. Home, he thought.

When the teen got to the front door however, he found himself second guessing himself. He stared at the varnished wood of the door in front of him, so many memories came of the surface of him waltzing through a door pretty similar to a house worlds different to the Hale house at home. He was used to barging in as if it were his own home and to some extent it was. It was definitely his headquarters at least, not now though. As he stared at the door in front of him he was hit again with a wave of home sickness. Here he needed permission to enter, here he had to knock. Except he didn't, before he managed to raise his hand to the door it swung open. Revealing the smiling face of Laura on the other side.

"Are you coming in or what?" Stiles smiled back and stepped inside "Good to see you again Stiles." She told him warmly and gave him a hug.

"You too Laura."

"Everyone is in the library come on, we are waiting for you." She told him and walked off so he could follow.

He entered the large library with equally large windows, allowing masses amount of natural light to stream into the room, revealing a picturesque view of the woods, the centre of the room was a large oak table where Talia, Deaton, Laura and Derek were now waiting for him.

He produced the translations and gingerly set them and the book on the table and waited for everyone to read it. Although he knew that it was Talia in this world and not Derek that was alpha, it was still strange to see Talia take the pages first to read them. Deaton nodded when he read them and agreed it was in fact what they were hoping for, Stiles resisted the urge to punch the air in excitement.

"There's one issue. If the spell is for me, I can't be the one to perform it. Do you have anyone that can do it?"

"You do magic?" Derek said taken aback by the news.

"I'm a spark, although Deaton is technically retried, because of the all the trouble we run into he has started training me." The room was unnaturally quiet around him.

"You're pack emissary, or at least emissary in training?" Deaton asked obviously a little shocked though of course he hid it well.

"I like to think I am the voice of reason"

"You are indeed a crucial part to your pack, not only an alpha mate but soon the emissary. It is all the more important we get you back." Talia told him with such certainty and conviction in her voice, Stiles found he couldn't meet her eyes.

"I, I'm not Derek's mate." Stiles stuttered, he didn't dare believe it. His Derek had never mentioned the word, although he did a little internal dance at the idea, though he still doubted the extent of his Derek's affections.

"You are." Derek mumbled already beet red from embarrassment. "I can smell it you're my, I mean, his mate." Stiles was silent for a few moments mind strangely quiet. He looked to Derek and saw the longing in his eyes, although this Derek hadn't lost his family and hadn't been left hardened and alone, he still must long for a connection, a mate of his own.

"Does, does that mean the other Stiles is yours?" he asked all eyes went to Talia as if hers was the only answer that mattered.

"Perhaps." Was all she said on the subject and it was dropped and everyone went back to the matter at hand, politely ignoring the fact that Derek's face was still burning and was looking anywhere but Stiles. The boy promised himself to bring up the word 'mates' with Derek when he got back, not if, he reminded himself, when. He would get back and soon.

"Good thing for you Stiles." Deaton began, he didn't miss the little smirk on his face. Stiles realised in that moment Deaton hasn't and shielded here and back home. "That in this world, I am not retired and will happily do the spell for you"

"Thank you." Stiles told him a little shocked at the openness of this Deaton. Perhaps the teen thought; that like Derek whatever tragedy he had endured in Stiles' reality did not come to pass here. Whatever the reason, Stiles watched in grateful silence as the adults in the room broke down the list, and began either gathering or sourcing ingredients, soon he thought. Home.

After around 15 minutes, surprisingly nearly all the ingredients were sitting on the table in front of them. Out of nowhere Stiles saw all three wolves' freeze, crap he thought, he has seen that behaviour before. Someone was approaching, attacking or threatening them.

"Three teenagers have arrived Stiles, they are lingering by the forest line. They smell like you."

"Crap, okay I'll deal with them, you guys continue doing what you were doing. I'll get rid of them." Stiles made his way out of the house and sat on the porch steps.

How did they know Stiles thought, could they have followed him? No, he was too attuned to looking out and dodging being followed by people that knew what they were doing No way would he be able to be followed unnoticed by 3 teenage civilians he reasoned.

"Come out now guys, I know you're there." He said in a half shout as he scanned the tree line for movement.

After a few beats of silence all three of his research buddies made their way out of the tree and towards the house, Stiles got up and met them half way.

"Fancy seeing you here Stiles." Lydia said as a way of greeting, she was good Stiles thought, she looked calm and sounded very convincing, Danny and Jackson's guilt filled faces, not so much.

"Cut the crap. How did you guys know where I was going? Because I know for a fact that none of you have the skill to successfully follow me." Stiles looked to the faces around him, when he looked to Danny his face was red and eyes immediately hit the floor, crap he thought. Lydia's words now sounded mocking in his mind 'I hear Celtic is pretty easy.' "You hacked my phone call didn't you Danny." The following silence answered his question and sighed.

"You going to start talking Stiles? Or am I going to have to report you to the Sherriff because his son is in some insane cult."

"I'm not in a cult."

"Then explain." Lydia urged sounding almost desperate. He knew that she hated not knowing things, hated when an answer was just beyond her reach. Stiles sighed and ran a hand down his face, he couldn't tell them. He couldn't destroy their innocent security of the world, their naivety and blessed ignorance.

"Speak to my dad if you want. You have nothing on me Lydia, it's your word against mine."

"We have the call recorded Stiles." Lydia smugly told him producing memory pen from her dress pocket. 'Fuck' he thought. He could tell his dad the truth but the deputies that would also hear it were a different story. He couldn't ask the Sherriff to ignore or destroy it, it would jeopardise his job. He ran over the call in his head, a recording would sound strange but there was nothing illegal on it, He reasoned with himself and told her as much.

"It might not be illegal but you sound crazy." Jackson interjected, who up to now was silently watching the exchange with Danny.

"I'm not crazy." Stiles growled.

"Then what the hell is going on?" Lydia asked, voice gentle and almost pleading and for a split second he had his Lydia back, his banshee warrior princess that wanted, needed to help. That didn't take no for an answer. He had his friend that cared and worried about him back. He could feel his resistance wavering.

"Okay." He began taking a breath to centre himself and try to work out how to word his confession.

Before he had time though a sudden loud rumble fell upon the preserve, shaking the ground they stood on and the birds out of the trees. Stiles could feel his spark inside of him sharpen, magic. Strong magic. This could not be good. He whipped his head towards the house. Talia, Laura, Deaton and Derek had all come out to the porch.

"What did you guys do?" he asked hoping, praying they caused it. He had never been that lucky however.

"It wasn't us Stiles." Talia told him, not taking her eyes off the tree line, searching. Another loud rumble cracked its way around them, making Lydia scream. Stiles' blood ran cold upon hearing it, but quickly remembered that it wasn't a banshee scream, it was a scream of a scared teenaged seemingly human civilian.

"Get in the house." Stiles shouted at the as he ran to his jeep and pulled out a baseball bat. He had worked on it all last night, it was not as neat or powerful as his one back home but it did the job. Magical ruins were scratched into the wood with a knife.

The teen knelt down next to it and poured some mountain ash over the wood whilst almost silently, chanting under his breath, the bat came alive. The marks glowed like embers as the teen picked up the bat and joined the werewolves at the front of the house, who were now all on the grass facing the forest.

"I said get in the house!" Stiles shouted again to the three teens who were all staring wide eyed at him.

Before they had time to respond, a dark figure made its way through the tree line. The three werewolves became instantly silent and incredibly tense upon scenting who had arrived into their pack's territory. Stiles looked to them instantly worried.

The three teens had yet to move either through fear or curiosity he wasn't certain. All he knew was, that they were innocent here. They may have been stuck up and bitchy but they were innocent kids. Stiles didn't realise he was referring to his peers as kids and instead he moved to stand in front of them, readjusted his grip on the bat and got himself ready. He was ready to go down fighting.

The figure ahead of him was human shaped, had black clothes and dark hair, his magic pulled his stomach when the figure slowly approaching came into focus. His magic didn't pull him to fight or twist to warn him of danger, it felt warm, excited and pulling him towards the suspected danger. The boy frowned and looked at the figure as best he could, suddenly his breathing stopped. He knew; that body, that walk, he knew that hair and that face.

"Derek." He whispered to himself, dropping the bat to the floor and began running towards him, "Derek!" he shouted to the man, who looked to him and broke into the widest smile Stiles had ever seen on his face, he too sped up his walking. Nothing was going through Stiles' head but Derek's name, again and again.

When he was close enough and teen jumped into the werewolf's arms and wrapped his legs around the man's waist and clung on to his alpha as if his life depended on it. He let out a loud sob, gasping for breath as he tried to convince himself it was not a dream. Derek in turn held onto the teen just as tightly.

"Stiles." He repeated a few times, sounding both astonished and relieved, as he buried his face into the boy's neck and breathed. Before too long whether out of shock or exhaustion or something else, Stiles felt Derek lower himself to the ground so he was on his knees and Stiles still in his lap. "I found you." Derek whispered looking into Stiles' eyes, finding his eyes as red and wet as his own.

"It's you." Stiles whispered as his eyes scanned the man's body, fingers trailed up the wolf's chest and neck and rested either side of his face stroking his cheeks with his thumbs. "It's you." He repeated, smiling bright and wide as tears freely falling. "My Derek."

"Yours." Derek told him hands clasping Stiles hoodie.

There were so many things he wanted to say, so many questions about what had happened, how their world was, how his dad was, how he got there. Only one thing however, seemed important as he looked into the eyes of the werewolf he feared he had lost forever.

"I love you." Derek surged forward and the two men, both human and wolf shared their most desperate and honest kiss.

"I love you too Stiles." He whispered back when they separated, resting foreheads together, Derek was trying to speak through his tears as he ran his hands up and down Stiles' back. Neither seemingly able to break contact in any way shape or form. "I was so scared I wouldn't be able to ever tell you that. I was scared you were lost to me and you'd never know the extent of my heart." Stiles smiled and took in Derek words, let them soak over him, seep into his skin that was buzzing in joy. For once in his life he was speechless, at a complete loss of what to say to the wolf, nothing he could think of would have done his feelings and the moment justice.

"Derek." He whispered back, pouring every emotion he could into the word hoping it was enough. It seemed to be, Derek smiled back and gave the teen a chaste kiss before they wordlessly stood.

It was the first time that Derek had looked around him, finally tearing his eyes off Stiles to scan his surroundings. Eyes drawn to the people watching the exchange. People he hadn't noticed where there, his whole being was focused on nothing but Stiles.

"Mom." He whispered in shock. Stiles slipped his hand into Derek's, urging the wolf to move forward and they made their way over to the Derek's family.

Stiles looked from Derek with his shocked eyes and tense jaw to the three Hales standing before them with similar looks on their faces. He wanted to speak to break the tension but knew it wasn't his place. Knew this was something Derek wanted and needed to do on his own. A flurry of movement caught his eye, Jackson, Lydia and Danny were moving mouths open in shock to get a closer look.

"Mom" Derek repeated, voice cracked with emotion and eyes slick with new tears. Thankfully he didn't have to carry on because Talia moved forward and wrapped her arms around her son. Derek let out a gasp as she embraced him. He let go of Stiles' hand and wrapped them both around the mother he had lost and started to weep.

"Oh Derek. My beautiful boy. Don't be sad sweetheart. It's okay." He whispered to him, she was speaking not as an alpha but as a mother, it made Stiles eyes well up.

Stiles removed himself from the situation and went to stand by the three teens and watched Derek sob in his mother's arms.

"I'm sorry." Derek whimpered "I'm so sorry. It's all my fault. You're dead because of me. I killed my pack"

"No, no sweetheart you didn't. The blame lies with the hunter not with the victim." She soothed him now crying too. She stepped back a little and placed her strong hands on his shoulders and looked him in the eye. "Do not let our death destroy your chance at a life. Let this be your closure, let yourself move on from your tragedy and be happy. You have a loyal pack and a mate willing, like you, to cross universes for. Don't let yourself destroy what can save you."

Derek nodded, kissed his mother on the cheek and looked to Laura. She too moved forward and wrapped her arms around him.

"I'm sorry I could not protect you better little brother. I'm sorry I left you alone there."

"No, Laura I,"

"You did nothing Derek, you did all you could. I love you Derek. I love you." The werewolf nodded and kissed his sisters forehead.

"I love you too Laura." Derek then turned to the last person in line, himself.

They stared at each other, each having a glimpse at what could have been if either life turned out different.

"Well this is weird." Derek 2 said as he took in the sight in front of him. The two Derek's smiled respectfully to each other, before they shook hands.

"Treat your Stiles well, he needs you." Derek two bushed and stepped away slightly and watched, as the other Derek re-joined Stiles and reclaimed his hand. Not willing to go without the contact he hand been denied for so long. Stiles felt completely the same and gave the larger hand a gentle squeeze.

"Why don't we all go inside? I feel there is a lot to discuss." Deaton said breaking the silence, he seemed to be the only one among them that was somewhat put together and thinking straight.

"Yes lets." Talia agreed, eyes going to their three uninvited guests. "All of us."


	10. Chapter 10

Stiles found himself sat around the Hale's kitchen table, thankfully due to the large family, chairs and room where not a problem. Talia excused herself to go to her study to tell the rest of the pack to stay away.

Talia returned before long and sat at the head of the table, Deaton at the foot, Laura to Talia's left next to Derek 2 and Derek to Talia's right, hands intertwined with Stiles who sat next to him, Lydia, Jackson and Danny made up the rest of the table, sitting down quickly and quietly.

Stiles was still lost for words, he was half convinced he was dreaming that his Derek was still lost to him, that he would wake up any moment and the warm hand he was holding onto would be gone. A lump formed in his throat as he blinked the tears away and gripped Derek's hand harder. Due to the completely over whelming situation Stiles had found himself in, he found it harder than usual to keep his emotions under control, something he had almost perfected back home. Without a word Derek, his Derek, manoeuvred Stiles onto his lap and wrapped his arms around the boy. Stiles buried his face in the croak of his alpha's neck and started sobbing and he gripped onto Derek with as much strength as he could manage.

Conversation was happening around him but Stiles couldn't focus, he was still half convinced he was dreaming. He was gripping Derek's shirt so tight with one hands his knuckles were white and finger tips had gone numb. The only two things keeping him grounded was the smell of his alpha, his Derek, his mate from his world and the gentle rhythmic contact of Derek's fingers running up and down his back.

The boy found himself skimming the edges of sleep, finding it increasingly harder to keep his eyes open and mind from drifting. For the first time in weeks he felt safe enough to let his guard down. Before Stiles knew what was happening he was being gently shaken back into consciousness.

When Stiles opened his eyes the room was dark but he could tell it was not the room he fell asleep in. for a split second he thought he was home, looking around the living room it looked so familiar but, it didn't feel quite right. He was home but he wasn't home, home. It took a few seconds for his brain to catch up with himself, having gotten used to so little sleep it was a shock to the system when he finally got a substantial amount.

"Morning." A familiar warm voice caught his attention. He looked towards the voice, looking at his dad in his arm chair, looking at him over his newspaper. Stiles' chest hurt looking at his dad 2, he looked almost the same as the one waiting for him at home. Only this man had more lines on his tired face, unsure if they were because of him or because of his evil twin. Stiles dreaded telling his father the truth if it causes this kind of worry. He took a breath pushing the worries aside, for now.

"Morning dad." Stiles croaked, sitting up slowly stretching out his stiffness. Sifting through his mind, sorting dream from reality and reality from hope, to try and remember how he ended up on the couch instead of his bed. It was harder than expected, his foggy mind was fighting against him, he did know though, that he felt more relaxed and calm that he had since he got to this world.

"So, I met your Derek." And in that split moment, the boy went from groggy to wide awake, and searching the room looking for signs that Derek was still there and hadn't left him, alone, again.

"Derek." He mumbled quietly, as if reminding himself that it happened and it wasn't another dream. Honey glazed eyes darted rapidly around the room, in a vain hope he would find that man hiding in plain sight. He found nothing and Stiles couldn't stop his breathing that became hard and erratic.

"You okay son?" John asked from his chair, newspaper forgotten from where it fell from John loosened grasp and fluttered to the floor.

Stiles tried to communicate, he tried to do something. Get his dad to help? To reassure him he didn't need help? He wasn't sure himself what he was trying to do but he failed at it anyway, because John was now on his feet making his way over. A deeply worried look etched into his face.

"Do you need something Stiles? Inhaler? Medications? Water?" He was a brilliant Sheriff could stare down the barrel of a gun and come out on top, without even a shaky hand. But at this moment the Sheriff looked helpless and lost that Stiles knew in that moment his evil twin never had panic attacks. Stiles loved him so much in that moment, he still tried to help him. "Stiles, breath slowly." Or he would have made these connections and thoughts if he didn't feel like his thoughts were swimming uphill against the tide in his brain to reach away sort of conclusion against anything. He felt stiff and boneless, alert and exhausted. His chest screamed at him from working so hard for so little air. "Son, it's okay."

Stiles was about two minutes from passing out, the edges of his vision had already began to spot with black. Stiles couldn't register the moment the front door swung open with a loud crack, the blood rushing too loudly in his ears to even hear it. He didn't notice when three Starbucks cups were hastily plonked onto the coffee table. The boy was only vaguely aware of the familiar soothing voice quietly speaking into his ear. The firm familiar chest pressed against his back seemed so far away that he didn't even register it was him that was feeling it. That same voice rang through is mind telling him when to breath, he heard the counts, felt the rise of the chest behind him. And slowly after many minutes Stiles calmed down. He didn't pass out and after a little while he opened his eyes and could breathe normally again.

"Derek." He whispered, knowing he could hear. He knew it was his Derek behind him. He was the only one that could touch him like that during one of his attacks, Derek was the only one that could talk him down no matter how far along it was. His alpha, his mate. He gently squeezed his alphas arm and leaned back against the chest behind him.

"I'm right here Stiles." The alpha whispered soothingly into the boy's ear, "I'm never leaving you again." Stiles nodded at that, but didn't trust his voice yet. "I love you stiles. I will always be here. We are in this together and we will get home together." Derek started to move to get out from behind him.

"Where are you going?" Stiles asked quickly, voice croaky, grabbing the man's sleeve.

"I'm just sitting beside you, I brought us coffee."

"Oh." Stiles replied, flushing red a little out of embarrassment. "Your dad is perfectly fine, just worried about you, do not worry about him Stiles he just misses you." Derek told him without having to be asked, knowing it would have been playing on the boy's mind the whole time he was here.

All three sat on the Stilinski couch as Derek handed out their drinks. Derek could feel less tension and worry in Stiles since hearing about his dad, the alpha glad he could provide that comfort for the boy.

"You know how I have my coffee?" John asked surprised after he took sip from the cup Derek had handed him. The man on the other side of the couch shrugged, tips of his ears a little pink as he bowed his head.

"It's the coffee the sheriff has back at home." He explained, John gave a surprised 'huh' before taking another sip.

"I'm glad the little things haven't changed." Stiles said softly and sleepily as he sipped his. "What's the other stiles choice of coffee? Is that the same?" the silence that followed was strangely awkward.

"I don't know how my son has his coffee. We don't really talk."

"Well I like a hazelnut latte if that helps." Stiles told him. John smiled in response, but it was clear how bad he felt about not knowing such a small insignificant detail about his own son.

"How is my son?" He asked Derek, worry evident in his voice.

"Exhausting." Derek told him with a small sigh before he took another sip. Stiles wanted to listen, he wanted to know how he was but it was hard to keep his eyes open, slouched heavily on Derek's shoulder he let his eyes drift shut. Derek took his coffee, placed it on the table before he wrapped an arm around the boy before he elaborated. "He's okay. Scott is pulling his hair out trying to keep him under control. It's been two days and he already knows how to push all our buttons. He took the news about werewolves surprisingly well, if anything he took it as a challenge to get us to lose control, Impressive really."

"Two days?" Stiles asked eye flying open as fast as his body would allow. "I've been here nearly two weeks."

"I guess time goes different in different universe." Derek whispered, running a hand through the boy's hair.

"So fucking weird." He murmured.

"Language." John shot instantly without thinking.

"Sorry." Again John was taken aback from the differences between this Stiles and his Stiles.

"So fucking weird." John repeated, making Stiles bark out a laugh.

"So according to you. You have realised what has happened and found a way to get to me in two days?"

"It wasn't hard to figure out Stiles." Stiles felt a little ashamed at how long it took him to realise. How quick he was to doubt Derek. "He smelt wrong, acting wrong and tried to come onto me calling me 'deputy', plus when I woke up in that hotel room, I was alone."

"You stayed all night?"

"I promised you I would. I just wish we could have both woken up in the same bed, and the same world."

"I love you." Stiles slurred before his eyes shut again, this time against his will. Derek smiled softly at the top of Stiles' head and placed a gentle kiss there whispering the endearment back.

"I didn't come to visit, I came to bring both Stiles' home."

"Thank god." John sighed, instantly feeling 7 stone lighter. They both looked over to Stiles for a reaction but found he had already passed out against Derek's shoulder and was snoring lightly. "When can I have my son back?"

"I have a tethering spell, it just needs to be completed it this side. Before the day is over everything will be sorted." They nodded to each other and fell into silence. Derek was itching to get back but did not want to rush Stiles, he needed to rest.

"Does he always get panic attacks?" John asked a little while later.

"They stated after his mom died. They are less common now, he is used to a lot of crap, but occasionally yeah. Does your Stiles not get them? You seemed kind, of shocked."

"This stiles got panic attacks after his mom's death, my Stiles got angry. He got an attitude, shut me out, and started not caring about school or rules. He started hanging out with the wrong people and started smoking away his problems."

"I didn't want to tell you about that."

"Every parent knows if their child smokes, they don't always let on to the child but we know. Unfortunately."

"He doesn't hate you, you know. Just before I left he was demanding to come as well, saying that his dad is alone and he needed to get back." John smiled at that, it didn't sound like his Stiles, though this wasn't exactly a normal situation.

"He loves you." John told him in return. "He spent the first week after he thought you left him, in a state of depression like I have never seen before. He couldn't go to school, barely ate, it almost killed me to watch him go through that. I know I am not technically his father but I am warning you, treat him well. If you hurt him, I will personally cross the universe with my loaded gun." Derek smiled at that, making John's eyebrows raise. It was not the reaction he was expecting.

"That is pretty much the speech the Sheriff already told me." Derek's gaze stolen again to the still form of Stiles next to him.

"He knows then."

"Yeah, we had to tell him everything. I know Stiles didn't want to let his father know to try and keep him safe. But to suddenly have a son from another universe, blackmailing shop workers for cigarettes, getting busted buying weed and trying push him to breaking point, we had no choice."

"Jesus." John replied with a sigh, feeling ashamed of his son's actions and making a promise to himself that it was going to change, that it had to change. "And he is alright with you two."

"Not at first, but he has come around to the idea. There are rules which Stiles won't like, but I will do anything to keep him."

"You're a good man." John told him, this Derek and his deputy although worlds apart in life experience and tragedy are very similar. They are both good men. He decided that if in this world his son and deputy find each other, it wouldn't be the worst thing to happen, in fact it could be good for Stiles. Plus there were worse son in laws to have in the world than a werewolf with super strength that would do anything to keep him safe. "How did all this happen?" John asked after the cups were drained and thrown away, and the Hales were called to set up their return journey.

"We ran a witch out of town a few days ago, she was a lot stronger than we realised and she let on." John nodded decided he didn't not need to know the details, all he needed was the return of his son.


	11. Chapter 11

Stiles was gently shaken awake after unintentional falling asleep tucked against Derek's side. He was right he thought, waking up to see Derek's smile was worth waiting for.

"When can we go home Derek." Stiles asked not even attempting to hide the desperation in his voice.

"Right now Stiles. I'm taking you home." The boy's insides erupted in joy, he grabbed the alpha around the back of the neck and pulled him in for a kiss. The kiss continued for longer than they both anticipated and only broke apart when an abrupt cough filled the room. They both turned to see the sheriff with his eyebrows raised, coat and shoes on. "That's our que." Derek told him, and pressed one more, chaste kiss to the lips he missed so much, before pulling the boy off the couch and onto his feet.

The Sheriff drove them to the Hale house, both Derek and Stiles sat in the back of the cruiser, neither willing to give up contact, holding hands the whole way and barely looking away from each other, despite not much being said.

When they pulled into the drive way, Stiles was met with a sight he didn't think he would see in this world and certainly not his own.

Lydia, Danny and Jackson were all still there, standing amongst the Hale pack. Laura with her arm around the strawberry blonde's shoulders. Stiles just knew that those two would either change or destroy the world, he was almost sorry he wouldn't be able to see which one it would be. He did notice that Derek was absent, he wasn't sure what to think of that.

Stiles greeted them all as he approached the group hand in hand with his alpha.

"So you're like some bad ass warrior from another word." Lydia stated sounded mildly impressed. Stiles couldn't help but laugh.

"You're there too Lyds, you're my warrior princess. Even more badass then me." He left out the banshee part, not wanting to freak her out before he was about to leave. He also selfishly didn't want anything to delay their return. Besides the Hale pack and Deaton were here they probably knew more about it then him anyway. Lydia smiled back, approving of her other self.

Deaton joined them and directed them all to the library where the spell had been set up and was ready. Stiles couldn't stop shaking as he made his way, grip on Derek's hand harder than moments ago, Derek too gripped back a little tighter.

When they entered the library they all gathered around the table, no one daring to touch anything, it all looked meticulously placed.

"Are we ready?" Deaton asked looking at everyone in the room.

"Not yet." Stiles told him, taking everyone by surprise. "Go say a proper goodbye Derek." He told him. They both knew this was Derek's one and only chance to say a proper goodbye to his family. The alpha hesitated a little, seemingly frozen. Stiles squeezed his hand brought it to his face and placed a kiss to the back of his hand which did its job and broke Derek out of his trace. "Go." He gently told him. Stiles watched as Derek went to speak to his family for the last time. He didn't go with him, he deserved privacy to share a few last words with people that were taken away way too soon.

Stiles in return made his way to the silent figure watching everything from the far corner of the table.

"Hey Derek." Stiles greeted the other Derek.

"Hi Stiles."

"Look, when Stiles gets back, give him a chance. He's a little lost and a little broken but he's a good kid."

"How do you know that, you don't know him."

"Because I gave my Derek a chance. He was lost and broken when we first met. Believe me when I tell you it's worth it."

"I'll bare it in mind."

"He's your mate isn't he? Isn't that reason enough?" Derek didn't reply but Stiles didn't really expect him too. He pulled him into a quick hug "thank you for everything."

On his way back to Deaton, Stiles received a hug good bye from Lydia, Danny and even Jackson, all nodded to him and wished him luck.

Before long Derek was back by his side holding his hand. Stiles didn't miss the watery eyes but didn't mention it, didn't bring up the fact that all the Hales had matching eyes. He smiled to them, thanked them all for their help and turned back to Deaton who was waiting patiently for them to be ready.

"Right. Derek, Stiles, drink this." He told them. They did, they did everything that Deaton instructed them too. Stiles was about ready to cry in frustration when nothing happened.

When suddenly light filled his vision, it was as if they were all of a sudden encased in a barrier of light and white noise. If it weren't for Derek gripping his hand and grounding him he would have felt completely lost.

Stiles couldn't tell how long they were encased for, it was impossible to tell, there was no indication or even feeling of the passage for time, Stiles supposed that they were traveling across the void of the universes so it was possible time just didn't even exist for those moments of travel. As quickly as the light appeared it disappeared. The floating feeling Stiles felt with no ground under him vanished in an instant and he collapsed to the hard, wet ground now below him. He felt dizzy and nauseous and fought off the feeling of retching as he breathed through it.

"You okay Stiles?" Derek asked helping the boy sit upright.

"Yeah." He answered, trying to ignore the feeling of being sick. "Did we make it back?" Derek broke eye contact to look around them, Stiles felt his stomach drop as he watched Derek search for, something. Eyebrows pulled together, what if it went wrong? He thought, oh god, what if they ended up further away from home? Stiles reached up and gripped the front of Derek's shirt, needed the comfort contact would give. But before he had a chance to voice any of his concerns, whatever Derek was searching for, he seemed to find it. His face smoothed out and a smile appeared.

"Yes Stiles, I believe we are back." Stiles shot around from where he was seated to look in the direction Derek was. The force knocked him off balance so he ended up sprawled across the floor at an odd angle. What he saw caused such joy and relief, Stiles could never even attempt to describe it.

Out of the clearing of the trees appeared his pack, his dad, everyone he cared about. Stiles couldn't be certain because he was in a vast amount of shock but he was pretty sure he let out some sort of excited wail like screech.

Derek reached down to help get him onto his feet, but Stiles did not want to wait that long, he used his position to start his run, much like how sprinters begin a race.

Stiles ran, without thought or hesitation straight towards the small group of his excited and smiling family. Stiles barrelled into his father with such speed they both nearly ended up on the floor, neither minded as they wobbled on their feet as they held onto each other as tightly as they could. The Stilinski men laughed and cried and they squeezed each other.

"I missed you so much dad. I love you so much." Stiles murmured into John's chest.

"I love you too son." John replied instantly, no hesitation, no shock at his words, Stiles was home.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry for everything." The boy started sobbing as he was cradled in his father's arms.

"Hey, it's okay." John soothed "Stiles look at me." Stiles scrunched his eyes shut and shook his head as he buried his face deeper into his father's chest. "it's okay, hey," John whispered leaning back a little, removing his chest and Stiles hiding place, finally a watery eyed boy looked up to his dad. He was sure to find anger, disappointment, everything he had been trying to avoid his father feeling towards him. What he found was the opposite. Happiness, sheer happiness at having his son back, he even dared to think he saw some pride mixed in there. "I know everything." He told his son, clasping his boy's cheeks, he glanced towards where Derek who was now standing behind them, surrounded by his pack and back to Stiles. "Everything. I know."

"I can explain." Stiles stammered, face going deathly white before cherry red. John let Stiles stammer out few random excuses, tripping over his words, until John held up his hands in surrender, small amused smirk in place.

"I have had it all explained already, and I have already done my job as father and threatened his life if he hurts you." Stiles spun around to look at his mate, who nodded and smiled a little, Stiles couldn't help but smile back.

"Dad, I" despite what his dad told him, he still felt the guilt, he still felt the need to explain his actions and justify his decisions.

"Stiles stop." John told him, pulled him in for yet another hug. "I don't care, about any of it. The lies and the sneaking around, it doesn't matter, I mean it stops here but I'm just glad to get you back son. That's all that matters. You're home."

"Yeah." Is all he could respond with. Barely able to even get that out around the lump in his throat.

"Now go see your, pack." Stiles knew the word was still new for his dad, and he was proud of him for trying to make it sound normal. "They're inching closer and closer." He smirked and eyed the wolves over his son's shoulder, who was smiling now, looking to his feet.

"I love you dad."

"I love you too son." Stiles will never get over hearing his dad not sound shocked, he didn't think he would be able to erase the other sheriff's shocked and sad looking tired face from his mind. He would give anything to make sure his father would not have the same look and lines of his face.

Stiles took a breath before he turned to see his pack. They were all there and all a mixture of smiles and tears, surprisingly Jackson was in the tear section. Jackson, Kira, Alison and unsurprisingly Scott were tearing up whilst Lydia, Danny, Isaac were as close to the perfect embodiment of giddy that Stiles have ever seen. Boyd was happy, someone that didn't know it may have wavered, but Stiles knew, he was very happy. Erica is a complete mix of both, swapping between crying and laughing as she shifted from foot to foot before doing everything at once.

Stiles didn't realise how much he had missed them, until this moment. Until he looked into the faces of his pack, his family. How could he have even entertained the idea of leaving them behind and leaving the pack? He could never.

If he did, who would help Isaac with math, and Scott with history, who would sit and keep Boyd company when we wanted to be alone but didn't want to be lonely, who would bake cookies with Danny, or let Jackson rant to him over popcorn when everything just got too much, who would make sure the fridge was always stocked with chocolate milk for Alison, who would challenge Lydia to study more and try harder whilst taking pride in it, who would paint Kira's right finger and toe nails when she couldn't even hold the brush with her left hand, and who would hide under the covers with Erica when there was a thunder storm and she got scared, and who would keep that a secret. Who would make sure each and every one of them ate probably after Derek's training sessions. Stiles was needed, Stiles was loved.

"Good to see you guys," his eyes tearing up to joined the rest of them now. They all moved at once and soon he found himself at the centre of a standing puppy pile. Every one of them was making contact with him in some way and Stiles went around and made sure he did the same to each and every one of them in return. "Hey yeah I missed you all too." He let his eyes close as he felt the wave of pack, of safety, warmth and home flood through him.

Stiles wasn't sure how long he stood their surrounded by pack but when he opened his eyes, his dad and Derek seemed to be deep in some kind of conversation, huh, he thought, should he be worried or happy by that turn of events.

The pack moved away slightly sensing his desire for contact from Derek, whom were now, Stiles gathered, fully aware of them, much like his father. Stiles didn't go over though, he merely watched him for a moment. Looking at nothing in particular just watched as the man he loved moved and spoke and merely existed, Stiles realised that he could watch him all day.

He was snapped out of the daze he found himself in by a punch delivered onto his arm.

"Never do that again!" Scott shouted.

"Well it wasn't exactly my fault Scotty." He shot back, rubbing his arm a little at the ache that blossomed.

"Well, never let that happen again!" Scott continued, "I can't go through that again Stiles. Not only did we lose you but, we gained your evil twin. Don't ever do that again." Stiles couldn't help but laugh.

"I'm sure I wasn't that bad." The entire pack groaned, he knew then that yes he was that bad. Stiles laughed a little, basked in the familiar glow that was his pack.

"Do you need a ride home Stiles? Your dad is technically at work." Stiles turned to Lydia and smiled in thanks.

"Thanks but I haven't finished clinging to Derek yet, I haven't seen him for two weeks, gotta make up for lost time."

"That was too much information." Lydia informed him with a straight face but through the boy a wink, making the rest of the pack chuckle. Stiles on the other hand that hadn't intended it to sound like they heard it, turned red, especially when he heard the voice of his father.

"Yes it was." John told him from where he appeared behind him. "I need to go back to work son, but I'll see you at home."

"Actually dad" Stiles rubbed him neck and felt incredibly awkward. "I was kinda hoping."

"No" John told him instantly making Stiles mouth drop open, the quiet sounds of snorts and giggle could be heard coming from the pack around him.

"But."

"No Stiles." John interrupted, "You are not spending the night at Derek's. There are rules now I know about you two."

"Rules?" Stiles echoed, not quite believing the turn of events.

"Yes rules. You're 17 Stiles." He wanted to argue. He wanted to tell his father that we may be 17 but he was also a human that ran with wolves, that he had ran into battle, that he had been on the giving and received end of a beating, that he had been kidnapped and had guns and knife in his face and he was old enough to deal with all that. But he didn't. He didn't want to argue. He didn't want a relationship like the one in the other world, he knew his father had a point and he knew he had to respect it.

"I'm 18 in two months" He still argued back, but mostly for show, shoulders already sagged in defeat.

"Stiles it's okay." Derek told him, taking his hand in both of his, placed a few kisses to his fingertips.

"But, you, I." Stiles wasn't show exactly what he was going to say, perhaps that all they had really did was have sex, that take that away what were they? Worries blossomed in the boys chest, until he looked up to see Derek, still clasping his hands, a soft smile on his face and an honest and open expression that Stiles had seen only a handle of time. "You really don't mind."

"Stiles I thought I lost you, I never thought I would see you again let alone anything else. You are my mate, my anchor and my pack. I will follow any rule your dad wants to lay down if it means I can hold your hand in public and come around for Friday dinners." John watched as his son launched onto the Alpha, wrapped his arms tightly around his neck and buried his face there for a moment or two. The Sheriff didn't realise he was smiling softly until he caught Scott's eye who smiles back.

"I love you Derek James Hale." Stiles told him as he pulled away.

"I love you Mieczyslaw Stilinski." Derek replied, causing Stiles to gasp at the perfect pronunciation of his name, he wasn't even aware he knew it let alone say it.

'Ah crap' John thought and he sighed, forefinger and thumb clasping his nose.

"One night." He told the two, grabbing everyone attention as silence fell in the clearing. John opened his eyes his son looking at him with his eyebrow drawn together, a look of confusion painting across his features. John sighed as he elaborated. "You get a one night pass, considering everything that has happened. Against my better judgment. I don't want to hear about it or talk about it again. Starting tomorrow my rules will be enforced."

Before John could explain anymore or be asked any questions, John bid them good bye and went back to work. "Just be careful. Tomorrow, we spend the day together." He told his son before disappearing into the tree line to make his way back to the cruiser. Leaving a red faced Stiles, a pale Derek and a sniggering pack behind him.

It didn't take long before Stiles join the pack in their laughter, he laughed hard and loud. He dived onto Scott, then moved to the others again. Derek watched his mate embrace his pack, he watched with a lightened heart, he never thought he would end up here. End up with a pack, with a mate, with family.

"Come on Derek. Let go home." Stiles told him. Derek smiled, home. The alpha nodded good bye to his pack, reminded them about their meeting the following evening, wrapped an arm around his mate and began their way back to the house.

Later the night, Derek and Stiles lay naked in the alpha's large warm bed, arms clinging to each other in the darkness. They speak openly and honestly. They talked of the misunderstandings in the past and plans for the future. Stiles asked about 'mates' which Derek explained and answered all Stiles' questions, and there was a lot. They spoke for hours, after a little while Stiles, despite liking the darkness at first, for a barrier, found he wanted to see his mates face.

With a wave of the boy's hand, small balls of light, not unlike fireflies, appeared on the bed around them and rose up slowly. Fluttering to the ceiling like stars in the sky. The two of them stared for a moment. Derek simply marvelling his mates power. He could create such beautiful things, no spell or incarnation needed, a simple wave of the hand and stile can have the world at his fingertips. The wolf wasn't sure his mate understood just how powerful that made him, how powerful he could become.

The wolf knew the names of maybe two emissaries that didn't have to chant or need ingredients for most spells. Both were mages, not sparks and both are long dead. A thing of stories his mother used to tell him before bed, they both mastered those techniques in battle over many years, Stiles does it on instinct. The alpha was reminded again that Stiles was the most powerful member of his pack, even more so than himself. Derek's awed silence was broken as Stiles softly spoke into the gently light air.

"I wonder how my evil twin is doing." Stiles mused out loud as they both continued to stare at the own personal stars. "He is angry and kind of a dick, yeah. But. Not having anyone, coming home to an empty house. It's lonely." A few shooting stars started zooming across the ceiling as Stiles was speaking, Derek was captivated "I don't think dad 2 really understood, he's at his wits end but there was still no communication."

"He was angry, very angry at himself and the world around him." Derek told his mate. Stiles never got to meet Stiles mark 2, he never got to see for himself what the other boy was like, what he could have been. "That's the main reason I knew he wasn't you. His anger and pain."

"That's horrible." The boy knew it wasn't him but the thought of kind of him being in that much pain and anger and loneliness was heart-breaking. Derek smelt the change in mood, looking over and pressed gentle kissed to his shoulder and collar bone.

"He won't be alone anymore." He assured him, "You're father, he had this determination to change their relationship and my family. My family over there, they won't leave him alone." They both shared a sad yet hopeful smile of the future of the other world. "Not now they know Derek has a mate." Derek started placing gentle kisses up and down his mate's neck and held him tighter as he spoke. He knew how lucky he was. "Mates don't always happen, if we're lucky we meet them, if we are luckier we fall in love with them and get to keep them."

"We are very lucky then." Stiles told him, turning to press a kiss to his alphas lips.

"Yes." He spoke into the kiss. They lay their kissing lazily for a few minutes, both still a little amazed that they could do this, finally.

When they were both looking up at their stars again, Stiles lifted his hand. The small lights in the air started moving, coming together in some kind of order they knew, Derek could only watch.

"Do you think he can do magic?" Stiles asked as he looked up to the wolf form the lights had made. "Do you think he will need to know it?" with one swipe of a finger the wolf started running in the air, a form of the boy running beside him. "Do you think that world is safe?" Derek listened to Stiles words as he viewed the most amazing but terrifying light show. A face encased in flame appeared, turning into beams of fire, swooping and twirling and circling the boy and his wolf. "From the monsters in the dark." Stiles added before the fire and the lights in the sky was put out with a click of his finger. Leaving the room in darkness once more.

"Stiles." Derek whispered into the darkness, unable to see Stiles' face from how he was holding him. "Stiles look at me." The boy did so and revealed his worried face, Derek wasted no time in peppering it with kisses, forcing a small smile out of his mate. "You left that world better than what is was. They're better prepared than ever. That world felt safe." Stiles nodded, knowing there wasn't much else to say, they had no way of knowing or helping the other world, all they could do was speculate, all they could do was hope and pray that that worlds fate would be better than theirs.

"I hope I keep it safe." He mumbled, settling a little deeper into the mattress ready to finally fall asleep with Derek wrapped around him, this time certain he would wake up the wolf in his bed.

"I hope we find each other." Derek mumbled back.

"Always." The two shared one for kiss, unhurried, slow and calming, it wasn't their first or their last. It was one of many.

Derek listening as his mates breathing became slow and steady, listened to the rhythmic beat of Stiles heart. He was eternally grateful that he was able to find Stiles, not just in the other word but this one too. Derek fell asleep holding the boy small smile on his lips

His mum's words rang in his head _'Do not let our death destroy your chance at a life. Let this be your closure, let yourself move on from your tragedy and be happy, you have a loyal pack and a mate willing, like you, to cross universes for. Don't let yourself destroy what can save you'_

She was right.


End file.
